View source for London

{{Short description|Capital of both England and the United Kingdom}}
{{about|the capital city of England and the United Kingdom}}
{{good article}}
{{pp-vandalism|small=yes}}
<!-- Please do not make significant changes to the lead without discussing them first on the article's talk page.-->
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = London
<!-- NOTE: DO NOT add or change images without consensus. -->| image_skyline      = {{multiple image
  | border        = infobox
  | perrow        = 1/3/2/1
  | total_width   = 290
  | align         = center
  | caption_align = center
  | image1        = London Skyline (125508655).jpeg
  | caption1      = [[River Thames]] and [[Tower Bridge]] with [[The Shard]] and [[Southwark]] (left), and [[Tower of London]] and [[City of London]] (right)
  | image2        = London Eye at sunset 2013-07-19.jpg
  | caption2      = [[London Eye]]
  | image3        = Westminster Abbey St Peter.jpg
  | caption3      = [[Westminster Abbey]]
  | image4        = St Paul's Cathedral Dome from One New Change - Vertical Crop.jpg
  | caption4      = [[St Paul's Cathedral]]
  | image5        = Open Happiness Piccadilly Circus Blue-Pink Hour 120917-1126-jikatu.jpg
  | caption5      = [[Piccadilly Circus]]
  | image6        = Canary Wharf from Limehouse London June 2016 HDR.jpg
  | caption6      = [[Canary Wharf]]
  | image7        = Houses of Parliament in 2022 (cropped).jpg
  | caption7      = [[Palace of Westminster]] with [[Big Ben]] (right)
  }}
| settlement_type    = [[Capital city]]
| image_caption      = <!-- Maps -->
| pushpin_map_caption = Location within England##Location within the United Kingdom##Location within Europe
| pushpin_relief     = 1
| pushpin_map        = England#UK#Europe
| mapframe           = yes
| mapframe-zoom      = 8
| mapframe-marker    = city
| mapframe-shape  = yes
| mapframe-caption   = Map of the [[Greater London]] administrative area, encompassing the [[City of London]] and 32 additional [[London boroughs|boroughs]]
| coordinates        = {{coord|51|30|26|N|0|7|39|W|region:GB|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Sovereign state]]
| subdivision_name   = United Kingdom
| subdivision_type1  = {{nowrap|[[Countries of the United Kingdom|Country]]}}
| subdivision_name1  = England
| subdivision_type2  = [[Regions of England|Region]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Greater London|London]]
| subdivision_type3  = [[Ceremonial counties of England|Ceremonial{{nbsp}}counties]]
| subdivision_name3  = {{Unbulleted list
 | [[Greater London]]
 | [[City of London]]
 }}
| subdivision_name4  = 
| established_title  = Settled by [[Roman Empire|Romans]]
| established_date   = AD {{start date and age|47}}, ''as [[Londinium]]''<ref name="auto1">[http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archives/view/no1poultry_molas_2007/ Number 1 Poultry (ONE 94), Museum of London Archaeology, 2013]. Archaeology Data Service, The University of York.</ref>
| seat_type          = Administrative HQ
| seat               = [[City Hall, London (Newham)|City Hall, Newham]]
| parts_type         = [[Districts of England|Local government]]
| parts              = 32 [[London boroughs]], the [[City of London]] and [[Queen's Park, London|Queen's Park]] parish
<!-- Government -->| government_type    = [[Directly elected mayors in England|Executive mayoralty]] and [[deliberative assembly]]
| governing_body     = [[Greater London Authority]]
| leader_title       = [[Mayor of London|Mayor]]
| leader_name        = [[Sadiq Khan]] ([[Labour Party (UK)|L]])
| leader_title1      = [[London Assembly]]
| leader_name1       = [[London Assembly constituencies|14 constituencies]]
| leader_title2      = [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|UK&nbsp;Parliament]]
| leader_name2       = [[List of Parliamentary constituencies in London|74 constituencies]]
<!-- Area -->| total_type         = Total{{efn|[[Greater London|London region]]}}
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="ONS mid-year pop est">{{UK subdivision statistics citation}}</ref>
| area_total_km2     = {{UK subdivision area|GSS=E12000007}}
| area_metro_km2     = 8382
| area_urban_km2     = 1738
<!-- Population -->| population_footnotes = <ref name="ONS mid-year pop est" />
| population_as_of   = {{UK statistics year}}
| population_total   = {{UK subdivision population|GSS=E12000007}}
| population_rank    = {{Unbulleted list
 | [[List of cities in the United Kingdom|1st]] in the UK
 | [[List of European cities by population within city limits|3rd]] in Europe
 }}
| population_density_km2 = {{UK subdivision density|GSS=E12000007}}
| population_urban   = 9,787,428
| population_urban_footnotes = {{nbsp}}(2011)<ref name="urbanpopulation"/>
| population_metro   = 15,100,000
| population_metro_footnotes = {{efn|[[London metropolitan area]]}}{{nbsp}}(2025)<ref name="CityPopulation.de show">{{Cite web |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/world/agglomerations/|title=Major agglomerations of the world|website=City Population|access-date=23 June 2025}}</ref>
| population_demonyms = Londoner
<!-- demographics (section 1) -->| demographics_type1 = Ethnicity <span style="font-weight:normal;">([[2021 United Kingdom census|2021]])</span>
| demographics1_footnotes = <ref name="2021 Nomis">{{NOMIS2021 |id=E12000007 |title=London Region |access-date=23 July 2024}}</ref>
| demographics1_title1 = [[Ethnic groups in the United Kingdom|Ethnic groups]]
| demographics1_info1 = {{Collapsible list
 | 53.8% [[White people in the United Kingdom|White]]
 | 20.7% [[British Asians|Asian]]
 | 13.5% [[Black British people|Black]]
 | 6.3% [[Ethnic groups in the United Kingdom|other]]
 | 5.7% [[Mixed (United Kingdom ethnicity category)|Mixed]]
 }}
<!-- demographics (section 2) -->| demographics_type2 = Religion <span style="font-weight:normal;">(2021)</span>
| demographics2_footnotes = <ref name="2021 Nomis"/>
| demographics2_title1 = [[Religion in England|Religion]]
| demographics2_info1 = {{Collapsible list
 | 40.7% [[Religion in England#Christianity|Christianity]]
 | 27.1% [[Irreligion in the United Kingdom|no religion]]
 | 15.0% [[Islam in England|Islam]]
 | 5.1% [[Hinduism in England|Hinduism]]
 | 1.7% [[History of the Jews in England|Judaism]]
 | 1.6% [[Sikhism in England|Sikhism]]
 | 0.9% [[Buddhism in England|Buddhism]]
 | 1.0% [[Religion in England|other]]
 | 7.0% not stated
 }}
<!-- Time zone -->| timezone1          = [[Greenwich Mean Time|GMT]]
| utc_offset         = +0
| timezone_DST       = [[British Summer Time|BST]]
| utc_offset_DST     = +1
<!-- Codes -->| postal_code_type   = [[Postcodes in the United Kingdom|Postcode areas]]
| postal_code        = {{collapsible list |titlestyle = background:transparent;text-align:left;font-weight:normal; |title = 22 areas
 |{{postcode|E}}, {{postcode|EC}}, {{postcode|N}}, {{postcode|NW}}, {{postcode|SE}}, {{postcode|SW}}, {{postcode|W}}, {{postcode|WC}}, {{postcode|BR}},
{{postcode|CM}},
{{postcode|CR}}, {{postcode|DA}}, {{postcode|EN}}, {{postcode|HA}}, {{postcode|IG}}, {{postcode|KT}}, {{postcode|RM}}, {{postcode|SM}},{{postcode|UB}}, {{postcode|WD}},
{{postcode|TN}}, {{postcode|TW}}
 }}
| area_code_type     = [[Telephone numbers in the United Kingdom|Dialling codes]]
| area_code          = {{cslist | [[020]] | 01689 | 01708 | 01895 }}
| blank1_name        = [[GSS coding system|GSS code]]
| blank1_info        = {{Unbulleted list
 |E12000007 (region)
 |E61000001 (GLA)
 }}
| blank2_name        = [[GeoTLD]]
| blank2_info        = [[.london]]
| website            = {{URL|london.gov.uk}}
}}
'''London'''{{efn|{{IPAc-en|ˈ|l|ʌ|n|d|ən}}, {{Respelling|LUN|dən}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=London {{!}} English meaning |url=https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/london |website=Cambridge Free English Dictionary and Thesaurus}}</ref>}} is the [[Capital city|capital]] and [[List of urban areas in the United Kingdom|largest city]]{{efn|Although conventionally considered a city, only the ceremonial county of the [[City of London]] and the [[City of Westminster]] [[London borough|borough]] within [[Greater London]] hold [[City status in the United Kingdom|city status]].}} of both [[England]] and the [[United Kingdom]], with a population of {{round|{{multiply|{{formatnum:{{UK subdivision population|GSS=E12000007}}|R}}|0.000001}}|1}} million people in {{UK subdivision statistics year}}.<ref name="ONS mid-year pop est" /> [[London metropolitan area|Its wider metropolitan area]] is the largest in [[Western Europe]], with a population of 15.1&nbsp;million.<ref name="CityPopulation.de show"/> London stands on the [[River Thames]] in southeast England, at the head of a {{convert|50|mi|adj=on}} [[tidal estuary]] down to the [[North Sea]], and has been a major settlement for nearly 2,000&nbsp;years.<ref name="london_001">{{Cite web |url=http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/English/EventsExhibitions/Permanent/RomanLondon.htm |date=n.d. |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080322235536/http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/English/EventsExhibitions/Permanent/RomanLondon.htm |title=Roman London |publisher=[[Museum of London]] |archive-date=22 March 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Its ancient core and [[financial centre]], the [[City of London]], was founded by the [[Roman Empire|Romans]] as [[Londinium]] and has retained its medieval boundaries.{{efn|See also: [[Independent city#National capitals|Independent city § National capitals]].}}<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-23518687 |title=London Government Act: Essex, Kent, Surrey and Middlesex 50 years on |work=BBC News |first=Joshua |last=Fowler |date=5 July 2013}}</ref> The [[City of Westminster]], to the west of the City of London, has been the centuries-long host of [[Government of the United Kingdom|the national government]] and [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|parliament]]. London grew rapidly [[19th-century London|in the 19th century]], becoming the world's [[List of largest cities throughout history|largest city at the time]]. Since the 19th century<ref name="Mills2">{{Cite book |last=Mills |first=AD |title=Dictionary of London Place Names |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |year=2010 |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=UWKcAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA152 152]}}</ref> the name "London" has referred to the [[metropolis]] around the City of London, historically split between the [[Counties of England|counties]] of [[Middlesex]], [[Essex]], [[Surrey]], [[Kent]] and [[Hertfordshire]],<ref name="baffling">{{Cite news |date=25 April 2014 |title=The baffling map of England's counties |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-27140505 |access-date=25 September 2021 |work=BBC News}}</ref> which since 1965 has largely comprised the administrative area of [[Greater London]], governed by [[#Local government|33 local authorities]] and the [[Greater London Authority]].{{efn|The Greater London Authority consists of the [[Mayor of London]] and the [[London Assembly]]. The London Mayor is distinguished from the [[Lord Mayor of London]], who heads the [[City of London Corporation]] running the [[City of London]].}}<ref name="politics_uk2">{{Cite book |last1=Jones |first1=Bill |title=Politics UK |last2=Kavanagh |first2=Dennis |last3=Moran |first3=Michael |last4=Norton |first4=Philip |publisher=Pearson Education |year=2007 |isbn=978-1-4058-2411-8 |location=Harlow |page=868}}</ref>

As one of the world's major [[global cities]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Global Power City Index 2020 |url=http://www.mori-m-foundation.or.jp/english/ius2/gpci2/ |access-date=25 March 2021 |publisher=Institute for Urban Strategies – The Mori Memorial Foundation}}; {{Cite news |author=Adewunmi |first=Bim |date=10 March 2013 |title=London: The Everything Capital of the World |work=[[The Guardian]] |location=London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/shortcuts/2013/mar/10/london-capital-of-world-divorce-breakfast}}; {{Cite web |title=What's The Capital of the World? |url=http://moreintelligentlife.co.uk/content/ideas/john-parker/what-capital-world?page=full |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130922132807/http://moreintelligentlife.co.uk/content/ideas/john-parker/what-capital-world?page=full |archive-date=22 September 2013 |access-date=4 July 2013 |publisher=More Intelligent Life}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=23 February 2022 |access-date=12 April 2024 |title=These are the world's top cities. Which one ranked highest for the 10th year running? |website=World Economic Forum |url=https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/02/london-worlds-top-city/}}</ref> London exerts a strong influence on world [[Art of London|art]], entertainment, [[Fashion capital|fashion]], commerce, finance, [[Education in London|education]], [[Healthcare in London|healthcare]], [[Media in London|media]], science, technology, [[Tourism in London|tourism]], [[Transport in London|transport]] and communications.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Leading 200 science cities |url=https://www.natureindex.com/supplements/nature-index-2021-science-cities/tables/overall|access-date=10 June 2022 |publisher=Nature}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |date=14 August 2014 |title=The World's Most Influential Cities 2014 |url=https://www.forbes.com/pictures/edgl45ghmd/no-1-london |magazine=Forbes |access-date=25 March 2021}}; {{Cite news |last=Dearden |first=Lizzie |date=8 October 2014 |title=London is 'the most desirable city in the world to work in', study finds |work=The Independent |location=London |url= https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/london-is-the-most-desirable-city-in-the-world-to-work-in-study-finds-9779868.html |access-date=25 March 2021}}</ref> London is Europe's largest city economy,<ref>{{Cite news |title=When Cities Are More Economically Powerful Than Nations |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-03-16/top-metros-have-more-economic-power-than-most-nations |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250519075038/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-03-16/top-metros-have-more-economic-power-than-most-nations |archive-date=2025-05-19 |access-date=2025-09-24 |work=Bloomberg.com |language=en}}</ref> and is [[Global Financial Centres Index|one of the world's major financial centres]].<ref name="London.gov.uk">{{cite press release |title= London is Europe's leading economic powerhouse, says new report |url= https://www.london.gov.uk/press-releases/mayoral/london-is-europes-leading-economic-powerhouse |access-date=5 January 2024 |publisher= Greater London Authority}}</ref> London hosts Europe's largest concentration of [[List of universities and higher education colleges in London|higher education institutions]],<ref name="london2">{{Cite press release |date=20 August 2008 |url= http://www.london.gov.uk/media/press_releases_mayoral/number-international-students-london-continues-grow |title=Number of international students in London continues to grow |publisher=Greater London Authority |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101124154712/http://www.london.gov.uk/media/press_releases_mayoral/number-international-students-london-continues-grow |archive-date=24 November 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref> comprising over 50 universities and colleges and enrolling more than 500,000 students as at 2023.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://londonhigher.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/The-characteristics-of-students-in-London-higher-education-and-how-they-link-to-experience-and-outcomes-3.pdf |title= London Higher: Facts and Stats
|author= <!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->
|date= 2023|publisher  =London Higher  |access-date=October 12, 2025 |url-status=live
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241103102650/https://londonhigher.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/The-characteristics-of-students-in-London-higher-education-and-how-they-link-to-experience-and-outcomes-3.pdf |archive-date=November 3, 2024  }}</ref> It is home to several of the world's leading academic institutions: [[Imperial College London]], internationally recognised for its excellence in [[natural sciences|natural]] and [[applied science]]s, and [[University College London]] (UCL), a comprehensive research-intensive university, consistently rank among the top ten globally.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2024 |title=QS World University Rankings 2024 |website=Top Universities |access-date=24 March 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/2024/world-ranking#!/page/0/length/25/sort_by/rank/sort_order/asc/cols/stats |title=Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024 |date=25 September 2023 |access-date=24 March 2025}}</ref> Other notable institutions include [[King's College London]] (KCL), highly regarded in law, [[humanities]] and [[health sciences]]; the [[London School of Economics]] (LSE), globally prominent in [[social science]]s and economics; and specialised institutions such as the [[Royal College of Art]] (RCA), [[Royal Academy of Music]] (RAM), the [[Royal Academy of Dramatic Art]] (RADA), the [[School of Oriental and African Studies]] (SOAS) and [[London Business School]] (LBS).<ref>{{Cite web |title=QS Best Student Cities 2024 |url=https://www.topuniversities.com/city-rankings/2024 |access-date=24 March 2025}}</ref> It is the [[List of cities by international visitors|most-visited city]] in Europe and has the world's [[List of busiest city airport systems by passenger traffic|busiest city airport system]].<ref name="Busiest skies">{{cite news |title= Revealed: The most crowded skies on the planet |date=27 July 2018 |url= https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/lists/the-busiest-skies-on-the-planet/ |access-date=2 December 2023 |work=The Telegraph |location= London |quote=London: Our capital's collective airport system is the busiest in the whole world. A total of 170,980,680 passengers.}}</ref> The [[London Underground]] is the world's oldest [[rapid transit]] system.<ref>{{Cite web |title=London Underground |url= https://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/about-tfl/culture-and-heritage/londons-transport-a-history/london-underground |access-date=6 May 2022 |publisher= Transport for London }}</ref>

London's diverse cultures encompass over 300 languages.<ref name=london_006>{{Cite web |url=http://www.cilt.org.uk/faqs/langspoken.htm |title=Languages spoken in the UK population |publisher=National Centre for Language |date=16 June 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080924084621/http://www.cilt.org.uk/faqs/langspoken.htm |archive-date=24 September 2008 |url-status=dead}} {{Cite web |url=http://www.cilt.org.uk/faqs/langspoken.htm |title=CILT, the National Centre for Languages |access-date=16 August 2007 |archive-date=13 February 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050213180755/http://www.cilt.org.uk/faqs/langspoken.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> The 2025 population of Greater London of just over 9.8&nbsp;million made it Europe's [[List of European cities by population within city limits|third-most populous city]], accounting for 13.1&nbsp;per&nbsp;cent of the United Kingdom's population and 15.5 per cent of England's population.<ref name="2025 population">{{Cite web |title=London, UK Metro Area Population (1950-2025) {{!}} MacroTrends |url=https://www.macrotrends.net/global-metrics/cities/22860/london/population |access-date=2025-08-28 |website=www.macrotrends.net}}</ref> The [[Greater London Built-up Area]] is the [[List of urban areas in Europe|fourth-most populous in Europe]], with about 9.8&nbsp;million inhabitants as of 2011.<ref name="urbanpopulation">{{Cite web |date=28 June 2013 |title=2011 Census – Built-up areas |url=http://www.nomisweb.co.uk/articles/747.aspx |access-date=29 March 2021 |website=nomisweb.co.uk |publisher=[[Office for National Statistics|ONS]]}}</ref><ref name="Demographia">{{Cite web |title=Demographia World Urban Areas, 15th Annual Edition |url=http://www.demographia.com/db-worldua.pdf |publisher=[[Demographia]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200207210003/http://www.demographia.com/db-worldua.pdf |archive-date=7 February 2020 |date=April 2019 |access-date=13 February 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The London metropolitan area is the [[List of metropolitan areas in Europe|third-most-populous in Europe]], with about 15&nbsp;million inhabitants as of 2025, making London a [[megacity]].{{efn|According to the [[Eurostat|European Statistical Agency]] (Eurostat), London had the largest [[Larger Urban Zones|Larger Urban Zone]] in the EU. Eurostat uses the sum of the populations of the contiguous urban core and the surrounding commuting zone as its definition.}}<ref name="appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu show">{{Cite web |url=http://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/show.do?dataset=met_pjanaggr3&lang=en |title=Metropolitan Area Populations |publisher=Eurostat |date=18 June 2019 |access-date=4 December 2019}}</ref><ref name="gla-plan-2015">{{Cite web |date=15 October 2015 |title=The London Plan (March 2015) |url=https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/planning/london-plan/current-london-plan/london-plan-chapter-two-londons-places/policy-22 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161222082331/https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/planning/london-plan/current-london-plan/london-plan-chapter-two-londons-places/policy-22 |archive-date=22 December 2016 |access-date=24 March 2021 |publisher=Greater London Authority}}</ref>

Four [[World Heritage Site]]s are located in London: [[Kew Gardens]]; the [[Tower of London]]; the site featuring the [[Palace of Westminster]], the [[St Margaret's, Westminster|Church of St Margaret]], and [[Westminster Abbey]]; and the historic settlement in [[Greenwich]] where the [[Royal Observatory, Greenwich|Royal Observatory]] defines the [[Prime meridian (Greenwich)|prime meridian]] (0° [[longitude]]) and [[Greenwich Mean Time]].<ref name="london_005">{{Cite web |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/gb |title=Lists: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland – Properties inscribed on the World Heritage List |publisher=[[UNESCO World Heritage Centre]] |access-date=26 November 2008}}</ref> Other landmarks include [[Buckingham Palace]], the [[London Eye]], [[Piccadilly Circus]], [[St Paul's Cathedral]], [[Tower Bridge]] and [[Trafalgar Square]]. The city [[List of museums in London|has the most museums]], art galleries, libraries and cultural venues in the UK, including the [[British Museum]], the [[National Gallery]], the [[Natural History Museum, London|Natural History Museum]], [[Tate Modern]], the [[British Library]] and numerous [[West End theatre|West End]] theatres.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Blackman |first=Bob |url=http://www.whatsonstage.com/index.php?pg=207&story=E8821201275286&title=West+End+Must+Innovate+to+Renovate%2C+Says+Report |title=West End Must Innovate to Renovate, Says Report |access-date=15 November 2010 |work=What's on Stage |date=25 January 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430190446/http://www.whatsonstage.com/index.php?pg=207&story=E8821201275286&title=West+End+Must+Innovate+to+Renovate%2C+Says+Report |archive-date=30 April 2011 |location=London |url-status=dead}}</ref> Important [[Sport in London|sporting events held in London]] include the [[FA Cup Final]], the [[The Championships, Wimbledon|Wimbledon Tennis Championships]] and the [[London Marathon]]. It became the first city to host three [[Summer Olympic Games]] upon hosting the [[2012 Summer Olympics]].<ref name="IOC">{{Cite press release |date=6 July 2005 |title=IOC elects London as the Host City of the Games of the XXX Olympiad in 2012 |url=http://www.olympic.org/media?calendartab=1&articleid=52922 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111017100349/http://www.olympic.org/media?calendartab=1&articleid=52922 |archive-date=17 October 2011 |access-date=3 June 2006 |publisher=[[International Olympic Committee]]}}</ref>
{{TOC limit|limit=3}}

==Etymology==
{{main|Etymology of London|l1 = Etymology of ''London''}}

''London'' is an ancient name, attested in the first century AD, usually in the [[Latinisation of names|Latinised]] form {{lang|la|[[Londinium]]}}.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Mills |first=Anthony David |title=A Dictionary of London Place Names |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |year=2001 |isbn=9780192801067 |pages=139|oclc=45406491}}</ref> Modern scientific analyses of the name must account for the origins of the different forms that are found in early sources: [[Latin]] (usually {{lang|la|Londinium}}), [[Old English]] (usually {{lang|ang|Lunden}}), and [[Welsh language|Welsh]] (usually {{lang|cy|Llundein}}), with reference to the known developments over time of sounds in those different languages. It is agreed that the name came into these languages from [[Common Brittonic|Common Brythonic]]; recent work tends to reconstruct the lost Celtic form of the name as {{lang|cel-x-proto|*Londonjon}} or something similar. This was then adapted into Latin as {{lang|la|Londinium}} and borrowed into Old English.<ref name="auto">{{Cite journal |last1=Bynon |first1=Theodora |year=2016 |title=London's Name |journal= Transactions of the Philological Society |volume=114 |issue=3 |pages=281–97 |doi=10.1111/1467-968X.12064| issn=0079-1636}}</ref>

Until 1889, the name "London" applied officially only to the [[City of London]], but since then it has also referred to the [[County of London]] and to [[Greater London]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mills |first=David |title=A Dictionary of London Place Names |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |year=2001 |isbn=9780192801067 |pages=140 |oclc=45406491}}</ref>

==History==
{{main|History of London}}

{{For timeline|Timeline of London}}

===Prehistory===
In 1993 remains of a [[Bronze Age]] bridge were found on the south River Thames [[foreshore]], upstream from [[Vauxhall Bridge]].<ref name="Denison">{{Cite web |title=First 'London Bridge' in River Thames at Vauxhall |date=27 May 2015 |url=https://exploring-london.com/tag/vauxhall-bridge/ |access-date=18 December 2023 }}</ref> Two of the timbers were [[Radiocarbon dating|radiocarbon dated]] to 1750–1285&nbsp;BC.<ref name="Denison"/> In 2010 foundations of a large timber structure, dated to 4800–4500&nbsp;BC,<ref>{{Cite web |title=London's Oldest Prehistoric Structure |url=http://www.bajrfed.co.uk/bajrpress/londons-oldest-prehistoric-structure/ |publisher=BAJR |access-date=19 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180707053946/http://www.bajrfed.co.uk/bajrpress/londons-oldest-prehistoric-structure/ |archive-date=7 July 2018 |url-status=live |date=3 April 2015}}</ref> were found on the Thames' south foreshore downstream from Vauxhall Bridge.<ref name="Milne">{{Cite web |last=Milne |first=Gustav |title=London's Oldest Foreshore Structure! |url=http://www.thamesdiscovery.org/frog-blog/london-s-oldest-find-discovered-at-vauxhall |website=Frog Blog |publisher=Thames Discovery Programme |access-date=15 April 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430002236/http://www.thamesdiscovery.org/frog-blog/london-s-oldest-find-discovered-at-vauxhall |archive-date=30 April 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> Both structures are on the south bank of the Thames, where the now-underground [[River Effra]] flows into the Thames.<ref name="Milne"/>

===Roman London===
{{main|Londinium}}

{{multiple image
| align             = right
| direction         = vertical
| header            = 
| width             = 215
| image1            = Stelalondon.jpg
| caption1          = Inscription from [[Londinium]], held at the Museum of London, with the Romans' first mention of the ''Londiniensi'' ('Londoners')
| image2            = London Wall fragment.jpg
| caption2          = A surviving section of the 3rd-century [[London Wall]] behind [[Tower Hill]]
}}

Despite the evidence of scattered [[Celtic Britons|Brythonic]] settlements in the area, the first major settlement was founded by the [[Ancient Rome|Romans]] around AD&nbsp;47,<ref name="auto1"/> about 4&nbsp;years after their invasion of AD&nbsp;43.<ref name="roman">{{Cite book |title=Roman London |last=Perring |first=Dominic |year=1991 |publisher=Routledge |location=London |isbn=978-0-203-23133-3 |page=1}}</ref> This only lasted until about AD&nbsp;61, when the [[Iceni]] tribe led by [[Boudica|Queen Boudica]] stormed it and burnt it to the ground.<ref name="london_010">{{Cite web |title=British History Timeline - Roman Britain |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/timeline/romanbritain_timeline_noflash.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430191143/http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/timeline/romanbritain_timeline_noflash.shtml |archive-date=30 April 2011 |access-date=7 June 2008 |publisher=[[BBC]]}}</ref>

The next planned incarnation of [[Londinium]] prospered, superseding [[Colchester]] as the principal city of the [[Roman province]] of [[Roman Britain|Britannia]] in 100. At its height in the 2nd century, Roman London had a population of about 60,000.<ref>{{Cite book |title=London Civic Theatre: City Drama and Pageantry from Roman Times to 1558 |first=Anne |last=Lancashire |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QajvxgbH59QC&pg=PA19 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2002 |page=19 |isbn=978-0-521-63278-2}}</ref>

===Anglo-Saxon and Viking-period London===
{{main|Anglo-Saxon London}}

With the early-5th-century collapse of Roman rule, the walled city of Londinium was effectively abandoned, although [[Roman civilisation]] continued around [[St Martin-in-the-Fields]] until about 450.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The last days of Londinium |url=http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/English/EventsExhibitions/Past/MissingLink/Themes/TML_themes_Londinium.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090108092449/http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/English/EventsExhibitions/Past/MissingLink/Themes/TML_themes_Londinium.htm |archive-date=8 January 2009 |access-date=31 March 2013 |website=[[Museum of London]]}}</ref> From about 500 an [[Anglo-Saxon]] settlement known as [[Anglo-Saxon London|Lundenwic]] developed slightly west of the old Roman city.<ref name=london_011>{{Cite web |url=http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/English/EventsExhibitions/Past/MissingLink/Themes/TML_themes_Lundenwic.htm |title=The early years of Lundenwic |publisher=The [[Museum of London]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080610043903/http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/English/EventsExhibitions/Past/MissingLink/Themes/TML_themes_Lundenwic.htm |archive-date=10 June 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> By about 680 the city had become a major port again, but there is little evidence of large-scale production. From the 820s repeated [[Viking]] assaults brought decline. Three are recorded; those in 851 and 886 succeeded, while the last, in 994, was rebuffed.<ref name="Viking Attacks">{{Cite web |url=https://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/viking_attacklist.html?showall=1 |title=Viking Attacks |access-date=19 January 2016 |last1=Wheeler |first1=Kip |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160101055729/https://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/viking_attacklist.html?showall=1 |archive-date=1 January 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

The Vikings applied [[Danelaw]] over much of [[East of England|eastern]] and [[northern England]], its boundary running roughly from London to [[Chester]] as an area of political and geographical control imposed by the Viking incursions formally agreed by the [[Danes|Danish]] [[warlord]] named [[Guthrum]] and the [[Kingdom of the West Saxons|West Saxon]] king [[Alfred the Great]] in 886. The ''[[Anglo-Saxon Chronicle]]'' records that Alfred "refounded" London in 886. Archaeological research shows this involved abandonment of Lundenwic and a revival of life and trade within the old [[London Wall|Roman walls]]. London then grew slowly until a dramatic increase in about 950.<ref name="blackwell">{{Cite encyclopedia |last=Vince |first=Alan |year=2001 |title=London |editor=Lapidge, Michael |editor2=Blair, John |editor3=Keynes, Simon |editor4=Scragg, Donald |encyclopedia=The Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Anglo-Saxon England |publisher=Blackwell |isbn=978-0-631-22492-1}}</ref>

By the 11th century London was clearly the largest town in England. [[Westminster Abbey]], rebuilt in [[Romanesque architecture|Romanesque]] style by King [[Edward the Confessor]], was one of the grandest churches in Europe. [[Winchester]] had been the capital of [[History of Anglo-Saxon England|Anglo-Saxon England]], but from this time London became the main forum for foreign traders and the base for defence in time of war. In the view of [[Frank Stenton]]: "It had the resources, and it was rapidly developing the dignity and the political self-consciousness appropriate to a national capital."<ref>{{Cite book |author-link=Frank Stenton |last=Stenton |first=Frank |year=1971 |title=Anglo-Saxon England |pages=538–539 |publisher=Oxford University Press |edition=3rd |isbn=978-0-19-280139-5}}</ref>

===Middle Ages===
[[File:Westminster Abbey by Canaletto, 1749.jpg|thumb|[[Westminster Abbey]], as seen in this painting ([[Canaletto]], 1749), is a [[World Heritage Site]] and one of London's oldest and most important buildings.]]
After winning the [[Battle of Hastings]], [[William the Conqueror|William, Duke of Normandy]], was crowned [[King of England]] as William I in the newly completed [[Westminster Abbey]] on Christmas Day 1066.<ref name="london_015">{{Cite web |last=Ibeji |first=Mike |date=17 February 2011 |title=History&nbsp;– 1066&nbsp;– King William |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/normans/1066_06.shtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090922053048/http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/normans/1066_06.shtml |archive-date=22 September 2009 |access-date=29 March 2021 |publisher=BBC}}</ref> William built the [[Tower of London]], the first of many such in England rebuilt in stone in the south-eastern corner of the city, to intimidate the inhabitants.<ref name=london_016>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/architecture_02.shtml |title=A History of British Architecture&nbsp;— White Tower |last=Tinniswood |first=Adrian |author-link=Adrian Tinniswood |publisher=BBC |access-date=5 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090213124332/http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/architecture_02.shtml |archive-date=13 February 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref> In 1097 [[William II of England|William II]] began building [[Westminster Hall]], near the abbey. It became the basis of a new [[Palace of Westminster]].<ref name=london_017>{{Cite web |url=http://www.parliament.uk/about/history/building.cfm |title=UK Parliament&nbsp;— Parliament: The building |date=9 November 2007 |publisher=UK Parliament |access-date=27 April 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080311032051/http://www.parliament.uk/about/history/building.cfm |archive-date=11 March 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

In the 12th century the institutions of [[central government]], which had hitherto followed the royal English court around the country, grew in size and sophistication and became increasingly fixed, for most purposes at Westminster, although the royal treasury came to rest in the Tower of London. While the City of Westminster developed into a true governmental capital, its distinct neighbour, the City of London, remained England's largest city and principal commercial centre and flourished under its own unique administration, the [[City of London Corporation|Corporation of London]]. In 1100 its population was some 18,000; by 1300 it had grown to nearly 100,000.<ref name=london_019>{{Cite book |last1=Schofield |first1=John |last2=Vince |first2=Alan|author2-link=Alan Vince |title=Medieval Towns: The Archaeology of British Towns in Their European Setting |publisher=Continuum International Publishing Group |year=2003 |isbn=978-0-8264-6002-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qu7QLC7g7VgC&pg=PA26 |page=26}}</ref> With the [[Black Death]] in the mid-14th century, London lost nearly a third of its population.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ibeji |first=Mike |date=10 March 2011 |title=BBC – History – British History in depth: Black Death |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/middle_ages/black_01.shtml|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430191039/http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/middle_ages/black_01.shtml |archive-date=30 April 2011 |access-date=3 November 2008 |publisher=BBC|language=en-GB}}</ref> London was the focus of the [[Peasants' Revolt]] in 1381.<ref name=london_020>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/richard_ii_king.shtml |title=Richard II (1367–1400) |publisher=BBC |access-date=12 October 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430191132/http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/richard_ii_king.shtml |archive-date=30 April 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref>

London was a centre of England's [[History of the Jews in England (1066–1290)|Jewish population]] before [[Edict of Expulsion|their expulsion]] by [[Edward I of England|Edward I]] in 1290. Violence against Jews occurred in 1190, when it was rumoured that the new king had ordered their massacre after they had presented themselves at his coronation.<ref name="Jacobs">{{Cite web |last1=Jacobs |first1=Joseph |year=1906 |title=England |url=http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/5764-england |website=[[Jewish Encyclopedia]] }}</ref> In 1264, during the [[Second Barons' War]], [[Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester|Simon de Montfort]]'s rebels killed 500 Jews while attempting to seize records of debts.<ref name=Mundill2010>{{Citation |work=Continuum |ol=24816680M |isbn=978-1-84725-186-2 |location=London |title=The King's Jews |url=https://archive.org/details/kingsjewsmoneyma00mund |first=Robin R. |last=Mundill |lccn=2010282921 |oclc=466343661 |year=2010 |pages=88–99}}</ref>

===Early modern===
[[File:Siege of London (MS 1168).jpg|thumb|upright|The [[House of Lancaster|Lancastrian]] siege of London in 1471 is attacked by a [[House of York|Yorkist]] sally.]]

During the [[Tudor period]] the [[English Reformation|Reformation]] produced a gradual shift to [[Protestantism]]. Much property in London passed from church to private ownership, which accelerated trade and business in the city.<ref name="pevsner">{{Cite book |last=Pevsner |first=Nikolaus |title=London – The Cities of London and Westminster |publisher=[[Penguin Books]] |edition=2nd |volume=1 |publication-date=1 January 1962 |pages=48 |asin=B0000CLHU5}}</ref> In 1475 the [[Hanseatic League]] set up a main trading base (''[[kontor]]'') of England in London, called the ''Stalhof'' or ''[[Steelyard]]''. It remained until 1853, when the Hanseatic cities of [[Lübeck]], [[Bremen]] and [[Hamburg]] sold the property to [[South Eastern Railway, UK|South Eastern Railway]].<ref name=EB>{{Cite EB1911 |wstitle=Steelyard, Merchants of the}}</ref> [[Woollen]] cloth was shipped undyed and undressed from 14th- and 15th-century London to the nearby shores of the [[Low Countries]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Pounds |first=Normal J. G. |title=An Historical Geography of Europe 450 B.C.–A.D. 1330 |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |year=1973 |isbn=9781139163552 |pages=430 |doi=10.1017/CBO9781139163552}}</ref>

Yet English maritime enterprise hardly reached beyond the seas of [[northwestern Europe]]. The commercial route to the [[Italian peninsula]] and the [[Mediterranean Sea]] was normally through [[Antwerp]] and over the [[Alps]]; any ships passing through the [[Strait of Gibraltar]] to or from England were likely to be Italian or [[Republic of Ragusa|Ragusan]]. The reopening of the Netherlands to English shipping in January 1565 spurred a burst of commercial activity.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ramsay |first=George Daniel |title=The Queen's Merchants and the Revolt of the Netherlands (The End of the Antwerp Mart, Vol 2) |publisher=[[Manchester University Press]] |year=1986 |isbn=9780719018497 |pages=1 & 62–63}}</ref> The [[Royal Exchange, London|Royal Exchange]] was founded.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Burgon |first=John William |title=The Life and Times of Sir Thomas Gresham, Founder of the Royal Exchange: Including Notices of Many of His Contemporaries. With Illustrations, Volume 2 |publisher=R. Jennings |year=1839 |isbn=978-1277223903 |location=London |pages=80–81}}</ref> [[Mercantilism]] grew and monopoly traders such as the [[East India Company]] were founded as trade expanded to the [[New World]]. London became the main [[North Sea]] port, with migrants arriving from England and abroad. The population rose from about 50,000 in 1530 to about 225,000 in 1605.<ref name=pevsner/>

[[File:London - John Norden's map of 1593.jpg|thumb|left|Map of London in 1593. There is only one bridge across the Thames, but parts of Southwark on the south bank of the river have been developed.]]
In the 16th century the poet and playwright [[William Shakespeare]] and his contemporaries lived in London during [[English Renaissance theatre]]. Shakespeare's [[Globe Theatre]] was constructed in 1599 in [[London Borough of Southwark|Southwark]]. Stage performances came to a halt in London when [[Puritan]] authorities [[London theatre closure 1642|shut down the theatres]] in the 1640s.<ref>{{cite news |title=From pandemics to puritans: when theatre shut down through history and how it recovered |url=https://www.thestage.co.uk/long-reads/from-pandemics-to-puritans-when-theatre-shut-down-through-history-and-how-it-recovered |access-date=22 June 2022 |website=The Stage.co.uk}}</ref> The ban on theatre was lifted during [[Stuart Restoration|the Restoration]] in 1660, and London's oldest operating theatre, [[Theatre Royal, Drury Lane|Drury Lane]], opened in 1663 in what is now the [[West End theatre|West End]] theatre district.<ref>{{cite news |title= London's 10 oldest theatres|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/united-kingdom/england/london/galleries/Londons-oldest-theatres/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/united-kingdom/england/london/galleries/Londons-oldest-theatres/ |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=27 June 2022 |work=The Telegraph}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

By the end of the Tudor period in 1603, London was still compact. There was an assassination attempt on [[James I of England|James I]] in Westminster, in the [[Gunpowder Plot]] of 5 November 1605.<ref name=london_023>{{Cite book |title=James I |last=Durston |first=Christopher |year=1993 |publisher=Routledge |location=London |isbn=978-0-415-07779-8 |page=[https://archive.org/details/jamesi0000durs/page/59 59] |url=https://archive.org/details/jamesi0000durs/page/59}}</ref> In 1637 the government of [[Charles I of England|Charles I]] attempted to reform administration in the London area. This called for the Corporation of the city to extend its jurisdiction and administration over expanding areas around the city. Fearing an attempt by [[the Crown]] to diminish the [[Liberties of London]], coupled with a lack of interest in administering these additional areas or concern by city [[guild]]s of having to share power, caused the Corporation's "The Great Refusal", a decision which largely continues to account for the unique governmental status of the City of London.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Doolittle |first1=Ian |year=2014 |title='The Great Refusal': Why Does the City of London Corporation Only Govern the Square Mile? |journal=The London Journal |volume=39 |issue=1 |pages=21–36 |doi=10.1179/0305803413Z.00000000038 |s2cid=159791907}}</ref>

[[File:Great Fire London.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|The [[Great Fire of London]] destroyed many parts of the city in 1666.]]
In the [[English Civil War]] the majority of Londoners supported the [[Roundhead|Parliamentary]] cause. After an initial advance by the [[Cavaliers|Royalists]] in 1642, culminating in the battles of [[Battle of Brentford (1642)|Brentford]] and [[Battle of Turnham Green|Turnham Green]], London was surrounded by a defensive perimeter wall known as the [[Lines of Communication (London)|Lines of Communication]]. The lines were built by up to 20,000 people, and were completed in under two months.<ref name="fortified">{{Cite web |last=Flintham |first=David |title=London |url=http://www.fortified-places.com/london/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090116190923/http://www.fortified-places.com/london/ |archive-date=16 January 2009 |access-date=28 March 2021 |website=Fortified Places}}</ref> The fortifications failed their only test when the [[New Model Army]] entered London in 1647,<ref>Harrington, Peter (2003). ''English Civil War Fortifications 1642–51'', Volume 9 of Fortress, 9, Osprey Publishing, {{ISBN|1-84176-604-6}}. [https://books.google.com/books?id=dKwKIiqAnlkC&pg=PA57 p. 57]</ref> and they were levelled by Parliament the same year.<ref name="fortified"/><ref>{{Cite book |title=The English Civil War: A contemporary account (v. 1) |publisher=Caliban Books |others=Wencelaus Hollar (Illustrator), Christopher Hill (Introduction) |isbn=978-1850660316 |editor-last=Razzell |editor-first=Peter |publication-date=1 January 1996 |editor-last2=Razzell |editor-first2=Edward}}{{Cite book |last=Gardiner |first=Samuel R. |title=History of the Great Civil War, 1642-1649 |date=18 December 2016 |publisher=Forgotten Books |isbn=978-1334658464 |volume=3 |publication-date=16 July 2017 |pages=218}}</ref> London was [[Bubonic plague|plagued]] by disease in the early-17th century,<ref name=london_024>{{Cite web |url=http://urbanrim.org.uk/plague%20list.htm |title=A List of National Epidemics of Plague in England 1348–1665 |publisher=Urban Rim |date=4 December 2009 |access-date=3 May 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090508010316/http://urbanrim.org.uk/plague%20list.htm |archive-date=8 May 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref> culminating in the [[Great Plague of London|Great Plague]] of 1665–1666, which killed up to 100,000 people, or a fifth of the population.<ref name=london_024/> The [[Great Fire of London]] broke out in 1666 in [[Pudding Lane]] in the city and quickly swept through the wooden buildings.<ref name="Samuel Pepys' Diary">{{Cite book |last=Pepys |first=Samuel |author-link=Samuel Pepys |title=The Diary of Samuel Pepys |volume=45: August/September 1666 |date=2 September 1666 |publisher=Univ of California Press |orig-year=1893 |editor=[[Mynors Bright]] (decipherer) |editor2=[[Henry B. Wheatley]] |url=http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/4167/pg4167.html |isbn=978-0-520-22167-3 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130813025236/http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/4167/pg4167.html |archive-date=13 August 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref> Rebuilding took over 10&nbsp;years and was supervised by the polymath [[Robert Hooke]].<ref name="london_026">{{Cite web |last=Schofield |first=John |date=17 February 2011 |title=BBC – History – British History in depth: London After the Great Fire |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/civil_war_revolution/after_fire_01.shtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090410000142/http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/civil_war_revolution/after_fire_02.shtml |archive-date=10 April 2009 |access-date=29 March 2021 |publisher=BBC |language=en-GB}}</ref>

[[File:Edward Angelo Goodall04.jpg|thumb|upright|left|[[St Paul's Cathedral]] (painted by [[Edward Angelo Goodall|Edward Goodall]] in 1850) was completed in 1710.]]

In 1710 [[Christopher Wren]]'s masterpiece [[St Paul's Cathedral]] was completed, replacing its medieval predecessor, which burnt down in the Great Fire. The dome of St Paul's dominated the [[London skyline]] for centuries, inspiring the artworks and writing of [[William Blake]], with his 1789 poem "[[Holy Thursday (Songs of Innocence)|Holy Thursday]]" referring to 'the high dome of Pauls'.<ref>{{cite news |title=William Blake lights up London Skyline |url=https://www.tate.org.uk/press/press-releases/william-blake-lights-london-skyline |access-date=15 June 2024 |work=Tate}}</ref> During the [[Georgian era]] new districts such as [[Mayfair]] were formed in the west; new bridges over the Thames encouraged development in [[South London]]. In the east the [[Port of London]] expanded downstream. London's development as an international [[financial centre]] matured for much of the 18th century.<ref name='Finance Hub'>{{cite news |title=Amsterdam and London as financial centers in the eighteenth century |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/financial-history-review/article/abs/amsterdam-and-london-as-financial-centers-in-the-eighteenth-century1/8B23F8D271B1BCD05594064523600E85 |access-date=4 July 2022 |work=Cambridge University Press}}</ref>

In 1762 [[George III of Great Britain|George III]] acquired [[Buckingham Palace|Buckingham House]], which was enlarged over the next 75&nbsp;years. During the 18th century London was said to be dogged by crime,<ref>''Hell on Earth, or the Town in an Uproar'' (anon., London 1729). Jarndyce Autumn Miscellany catalogue, London: 2021.</ref> and the [[Bow Street Runners]] were established in 1750 as a professional police force.<ref>{{Cite web |year=2001 |title=PBS – Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street|url=https://www.pbs.org/kqed/demonbarber/madding/thieftaker.html |access-date=28 March 2021 |publisher=PBS}}</ref> Epidemics during the 1720s and 30s saw most children born in the city die before reaching their fifth birthday.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Harris |first=Rhian |date=5 October 2012 |title=History – The Foundling Hospital|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/victorians/foundling_01.shtml |access-date=28 March 2021 |publisher=BBC |language=en-GB}}</ref>

[[Coffeehouse]]s became a popular place to debate ideas, as growing [[literacy]] and development of the [[printing press]] made news widely available, with [[Fleet Street]] becoming the centre of the British press. The invasion of [[Amsterdam]] by armies of [[Napoleon]] led many financiers to relocate to London and the first London international issue was arranged in 1817. Around the same time, the [[Royal Navy]] became the world's leading war fleet, acting as a major deterrent to potential economic adversaries. Following a fire in 1838, the Royal Exchange was redesigned by [[William Tite]] and rebuilt in 1844. The repeal of the [[Corn Laws]] in 1846 was specifically aimed at weakening Dutch economic power. London then overtook Amsterdam as the leading international financial centre.<ref name="auto2">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Yor4DAAAQBAJ |title=Finance Masters: A Brief History of International Financial Centers in the Last Millennium |last=Coispeau |first=Olivier |date=2016 |publisher=World Scientific |isbn=978-981-310-884-4}}</ref>

===Late modern and contemporary===

[[File:Fotografi av Royal Exchange. London, England - Hallwylska museet - 105857.tif|thumb|The [[Royal Exchange, London|Royal Exchange]] in 1886. It was founded in 1571 (with the present building rebuilt in 1844) as a centre of commerce for the City of London.]]
With the onset of the [[Industrial Revolution]] in Britain, an unprecedented growth in [[urbanisation]] took place, and the number of [[High Street]]s (the primary street for retail in Britain) rapidly grew.<ref name="Sales">{{cite news |last1=White |first1=Matthew |title=The rise of cities in the 18th century |url=https://www.bl.uk/georgian-britain/articles/the-rise-of-cities-in-the-18th-century |access-date=11 June 2022 |agency=British Library |archive-date=22 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220522225623/https://www.bl.uk/georgian-britain/articles/the-rise-of-cities-in-the-18th-century |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite conference |title=Trends in urbanisation |year=1993|author=Christopher Watson|editor1=K.B. Wildey |editor2=Wm H. Robinson |conference=Proceedings of the First International Conference on Urban Pests |citeseerx=10.1.1.522.7409}}</ref> London was the world's [[List of largest cities throughout history|largest city from about 1831 to 1925]], with a population density of 802 per acre (325 per hectare).<ref name="london_030">{{Cite web |title=London: The greatest city |url=http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/H/history/i-m/london4.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090419104109/http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/H/history/i-m/london4.html |archive-date=19 April 2009 |access-date=25 March 2021 |publisher=Channel 4}}</ref> In addition to the growing number of stores selling goods, such as [[Harding, Howell & Co.]], one of the first [[department store]]s, located on [[Pall Mall, London|Pall Mall]], the streets had scores of [[Hawker (trade)|street seller]]s.<ref name="Sales"/> Rising [[traffic congestion]] led to the creation of the [[London Underground]], the world's first [[Rapid transit|urban rail network]].<ref>{{cite news |title=A short history of world metro systems – in pictures |url=https://www.theguardian.com/cities/gallery/2014/sep/10/-sp-history-metro-pictures-london-underground-new-york-beijing-seoul |access-date=3 March 2024 |work=The Guardian}}</ref>

London's overcrowded conditions and the "[[Great Stink]]" of the River Thames led to [[cholera]] epidemics, claiming 14,000 lives in 1848, and 6,000 in 1866.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Brown, Robert W. |url=http://www.uncp.edu/home/rwb/london_19c.html |title=London in the Nineteenth Century |publisher=University of North Carolina at Pembroke |access-date=13 December 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111230164544/http://www.uncp.edu/home/rwb/london_19c.html |archive-date=30 December 2011}}</ref> A key development in public health and sanitation took place at the [[Great Exhibition]] of 1851 at [[Hyde Park, London|Hyde Park]] when [[George Jennings]] installed the first public [[Flush toilet#Development of the modern flush toilet|flush toilets]].<ref>{{cite news |title=London's long-term lav affair: A history of public toilets in the capital |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-59785477 |access-date=18 April 2025 |publisher=BBC}}</ref> In response to the exacerbation of sanitary conditions brought on by heavy industrialisation and urbanisation, the modern [[History of water supply and sanitation#Sewer systems|sewage system]] was created in London by the [[Metropolitan Board of Works]] led by its chief engineer [[Joseph Bazalgette]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Story of cities #14: London's Great Stink heralds a wonder of the industrial world |url=https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/apr/04/story-cities-14-london-great-stink-river-thames-joseph-bazalgette-sewage-system |access-date=18 April 2025 |work=The Guardian}}</ref> The [[London sewer system]] included {{convert|82|mi|km}} of main and {{convert|1100|mi|km}} of street sewers that diverted waste to the Thames Estuary, and by the 1890s it would also feature the revolutionary biological [[Sewage treatment#History|treatment of sewage]] to oxidise the waste.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Hamlin |first1=Christopher |title=William Dibdin and the Idea of Biological Sewage Treatment |journal=Technology and Culture|publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press |date=1988 |volume=29 |issue=2 |pages=189–218 |doi=10.1353/tech.1988.0136 |url=https://muse.jhu.edu/article/889247|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=London Sewers - Seven Wonders |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/england/sevenwonders/london/sewers_mm/index.shtml |access-date=18 April 2025 |publisher=BBC}}</ref> The Metropolitan Board of Works oversaw infrastructure expansion in the capital and some surrounding counties; it was abolished in 1889 when the [[London County Council]] was created out of county areas surrounding the capital.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Pennybacker |first1=Susan D. |title=Vision for London, 1889–1914 |date=2005 |publisher=Routledge |page=18}}</ref>

From the early 20th century onwards, [[Tea in the United Kingdom#Tea rooms|teashops]] were found on High Streets across London and the rest of Britain, with [[J. Lyons and Co.|Lyons]], who opened the first of their [[Chain store|chain]] of teashops in [[Piccadilly]] in 1894, leading the way.<ref>{{cite news |title=Bawden and battenberg: the Lyons teashop lithographs |url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2013/jul/12/bawden-battenberg-lyons-teashops-lithographs |access-date=27 June 2022 |work=The Guardian}}</ref> Tearooms, such as the [[Criterion Restaurant|Criterion]] in Piccadilly, became a popular meeting place for women from the suffrage movement.<ref>{{cite news |title=Taking Tea and Talking Politics: The Role of Tearooms|url=https://historicengland.org.uk/research/inclusive-heritage/womens-history/suffrage/taking-tea-and-talking-politics/ |access-date=27 June 2022 |work=Historic England}}</ref> The city was the target of many attacks during the [[suffragette bombing and arson campaign]], between 1912 and 1914, in which historic landmarks such as [[Westminster Abbey]] and [[St Paul's Cathedral]] were bombed.<ref>{{cite web |title=Suffragettes, violence and militancy |url=https://www.bl.uk/votes-for-women/articles/suffragettes-violence-and-militancy |website=British Library |access-date=9 October 2021 |archive-date=10 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210910203912/https://www.bl.uk/votes-for-women/articles/suffragettes-violence-and-militancy |url-status=dead }}</ref>

{{multiple image
| direction         = vertical
| align             = left
| width             = 220
| image1            = British recruits August 1914 Q53234.jpg
| caption1          = British volunteer recruits in London, August 1914, during the [[First World War]]
| image2            = LondonBombedWWII full.jpg
| caption2          = A bombed-out London street during [[the Blitz]] in the [[Second World War]]
}}

{{anchor|German air attacks}}London was [[German strategic bombing during World War I|bombed by the Germans]] in the [[First World War]], and during the [[Second World War]], [[the Blitz]] and other bombings by the ''[[Luftwaffe]]'' of [[Nazi Germany]] killed over 30,000 Londoners, destroying large tracts of housing and other buildings across the city.<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 May 2016 |title=Bomb-Damage Maps Reveal London's World War II Devastation |url=http://www.nationalgeographic.com.au/history/bomb-damage-maps-reveal-londons-world-war-ii-devastation.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170430155359/http://www.nationalgeographic.com.au/history/bomb-damage-maps-reveal-londons-world-war-ii-devastation.aspx |archive-date=30 April 2017 |access-date=18 June 2017 |website=nationalgeographic.com.au}}</ref> The tomb of [[the Unknown Warrior]], an unidentified member of the British armed forces killed during the First World War, was buried in Westminster Abbey on 11 November 1920.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nam.ac.uk/press/buried-among-kings-story-unknown-warrior |title=Buried Among Kings: The Story of the Unknown Warrior |website=Nam.ac.uk |publisher=National Army Museum |access-date=15 April 2023}}</ref> [[The Cenotaph]], located in [[Whitehall]], was unveiled on the same day, and is the focal point for the [[National Service of Remembrance]] held annually on [[Remembrance Sunday]], the closest Sunday to 11 November.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Vaughan-Barratt |first1=Nick |title=Remembrance |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/aboutthebbc/entries/0c66fc02-abf2-31e0-9867-cc306b16d3c9 |website=BBC Blogs |date=4 November 2009 |publisher=BBC |access-date=15 April 2023}}</ref>

The [[1948 Summer Olympics]] were held at the original [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Wembley Stadium]], while London was still recovering from the war.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Ronk |first=Liz |date=27 July 2013 |title=LIFE at the 1948 London Olympics |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |url=https://time.com/3877686/1948-london-summer-olympics-life-photos/|url-status=live |access-date=18 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150530005852/http://time.com/3877686/1948-london-summer-olympics-life-photos/ |archive-date=30 May 2015}}</ref> From the 1940s, London became home to many immigrants, primarily from [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] countries such as Jamaica, India, Bangladesh and Pakistan,<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Hibbert |first1=Christopher |title=The London Encyclopaedia |last2=Weinreb |first2=Ben |last3=Keay |first3=Julia |last4=Keay |first4=John |publisher=[[Pan Macmillan]] |others=Photographs by Matthew Weinreb |year=2010 |isbn=9781405049252 |edition=3rd |page=428}}</ref> making London one of the most [[Multiracialism|multiracial]] cities in the world. In 1951 the [[Festival of Britain]] was held on the [[South Bank]].<ref>{{Cite news |year=2008 |title=1951: King George opens Festival of Britain |publisher=BBC |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/may/3/newsid_2481000/2481099.stm |access-date=18 June 2017}}</ref> The [[Great Smog]] of 1952 led to the [[Clean Air Act 1956]], which ended the "[[pea soup fog]]s" for which London had been notorious, and had earned it the nickname the "Big Smoke".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Breen |first=Matt |title=Most Googled: why is London called the 'Big Smoke'? |url=https://www.timeout.com/london/blog/most-googled-why-is-london-called-the-big-smoke-011317 |access-date=29 November 2022 |website=[[Time Out London]] |date=13 January 2017 |language=en-GB}}</ref>

Starting mainly in the mid-1960s, London became a centre for worldwide [[youth culture]], exemplified by the [[Swinging London]] sub-culture associated with the [[King's Road]], [[Chelsea, London|Chelsea]] and [[Carnaby Street]].<ref>{{cite book | title=Swinging City: A Cultural Geography of London 1950–1974 | publisher=Routledge | author=Rycroft, Simon | year=2016 | pages=87 | chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I5O1CwAAQBAJ&pg=PT87 | chapter=Mapping Swinging London| isbn=9781317047346 }}</ref> The role of trendsetter revived in the [[punk rock|punk]] era.<ref>{{Cite book |author=Bracken |first=Gregory B. |title=Walking Tour London: Sketches of the city's architectural treasures... Journey Through London's Urban Landscapes |publisher=Marshall Cavendish International |year=2011 |isbn=9789814435369 |page=10}}</ref> In 1965 London's political boundaries were expanded in response to the growth of the urban area, and a new [[Greater London Council]] was created.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-35716693 |title=The rise and fall of the GLC |last=Webber |first=Esther |date=31 March 2016 |website=BBC Newsmaccess-date=18 June 2017}}</ref> During [[the Troubles]] in [[Northern Ireland]], London was hit from 1973 by bomb attacks by the [[Provisional Irish Republican Army]].<ref name=bombings/> These attacks lasted for two decades, starting with the [[Old Bailey bombing]].<ref name=bombings>>{{Cite web |last=Godoy |first=Maria |date=7 July 2005 |title=Timeline: London's Explosive History |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4734400 |access-date=25 March 2021 |publisher=NPR}}</ref> Racial inequality was highlighted by the [[1981 Brixton riot]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4854556.stm |title=The legacy of the Brixton riots |last=John |first=Cindi |date=5 April 2006 |publisher=BBC |access-date=18 June 2017}}</ref>

Greater London's population declined in the decades after the Second World War, from an estimated peak of 8.6&nbsp;million in 1939 to around 6.8&nbsp;million in the 1980s.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-31082941 |title=London's population hits 8.6m record high |work=BBC News |date=2 February 2015 |access-date=19 June 2017}}</ref> The principal ports for London moved downstream to [[Port of Felixstowe|Felixstowe]] and [[Port of Tilbury|Tilbury]], with the [[London Docklands]] area becoming a focus for regeneration, including the [[Canary Wharf]] development. This was born out of London's increasing role as an international financial centre in the 1980s.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/jan/28/canary-wharf-timeline-london-building-docklands-thatcher |title=Canary Wharf timeline: from the Thatcher years to Qatari control |last=Zolfagharifard |first=Ellie |date=14 February 2014 |website=The Guardian |access-date=19 June 2017}}</ref> Located about 2&nbsp;miles (3&nbsp;km) east of central London, the [[Thames Barrier]] was completed in the 1980s to protect London against tidal surges from the [[North Sea]].<ref>{{cite journal |last=Kendrick |first=Mary |author-link=Mary Kendrick |date=1988 |title=The Thames Barrier |journal=Landscape and Urban Planning |volume=16 |issue=1–2 |pages=57–68|doi=10.1016/0169-2046(88)90034-5 |bibcode=1988LUrbP..16...57K }}</ref>

The Greater London Council was abolished in 1986, leaving London with no central administration until 2000 and the creation of the [[Greater London Authority]].<ref>{{Cite news |year=2008 |title=1986: Greater London Council abolished |publisher=BBC |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/march/31/newsid_2530000/2530803.stm |access-date=20 June 2017}}</ref> To mark the 21st century the [[Millennium Dome]], the [[London Eye]] and the [[Millennium Bridge (London)|Millennium Bridge]] were constructed.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.building.co.uk/millennium-projects-10-years-of-good-luck/5001637.article |title=Millennium projects: 10 years of good luck |last=Ijeh |first=Ike |date=25 June 2010 |website=building.co.uk |access-date=20 June 2017}}</ref> On 6 July 2005 London was awarded the [[2012 Summer Olympics]], as the first city to stage the [[Olympic Games]] three times.<ref name="IOC"/> On 7 July 2005 three London Underground trains and a double-decker bus were bombed in [[7 July 2005 London bombings|a series of terrorist attacks]].<ref name=bombings/>

In 2008 ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine named London alongside New York City and Hong Kong as [[Nylonkong]], hailing them as the world's three most influential [[global cities]].<ref>{{Cite book |title=International Handbook of Globalization and World Cities |publisher=[[Edward Elgar Publishing]] |year=2015 |isbn=9781785360688 |editor-last=Derudder |editor-first=Ben |page=422 |editor-last2=Hoyler |editor-first2=Michael |editor-last3=Taylor |editor-first3=Peter J. |editor-last4=Witlox |editor-first4=Frank}}</ref> In January 2015 Greater London's population was estimated to be 8.63&nbsp;million, its highest since 1939.<ref name="gla-pop-2015">{{Cite web |title=Population Growth in London, 1939–2015 |url=http://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/population-change-1939-2015/resource/0a026346-960e-49e6-b968-a386d2cfe55f |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150219160246/http://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/population-change-1939-2015/resource/0a026346-960e-49e6-b968-a386d2cfe55f |archive-date=19 February 2015 |url-status=dead |website=London Datastore |publisher=Greater London Authority |access-date=7 July 2015 }} [https://londondatastore-upload.s3.amazonaws.com/dataset/population-change-1939-2015/historical%20population%201939-2015.pdf Alt URL] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230315011004/https://londondatastore-upload.s3.amazonaws.com/dataset/population-change-1939-2015/historical%20population%201939-2015.pdf |date=15 March 2023 }}</ref> During the [[2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum|Brexit referendum]] in 2016, the UK as a whole decided to leave the [[European Union]], but most London constituencies voted for remaining.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chandler |first=Mark |date=24 June 2016 |title='Wouldn't you prefer to be President Sadiq?' Thousands call on Sadiq Khan to declare London's independence and join EU |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/wouldnt-you-prefer-to-be-president-sadiq-thousands-back-campaign-for-sadiq-khan-to-declare-londons-a3280141.html |access-date=25 March 2021 |website=[[Evening Standard]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108104206/https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/wouldnt-you-prefer-to-be-president-sadiq-thousands-back-campaign-for-sadiq-khan-to-declare-londons-a3280141.html |archive-date= 8 November 2020 }}</ref> However, Britain's [[Brexit|exit from the EU]] in January 2020 only marginally weakened London's position as an international financial centre.<ref>{{cite web |title=London as a Financial Center Since Brexit: Evidence from the 2022 BIS Triennial Survey |url=https://www.bu.edu/gdp/2022/12/16/london-as-a-financial-center-since-brexit-evidence-from-the-2022-bis-triennial-survey/ |website=Boston University Global Development Policy Center  |date=16 December 2022 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230927094017/https://www.bu.edu/gdp/2022/12/16/london-as-a-financial-center-since-brexit-evidence-from-the-2022-bis-triennial-survey/ |archive-date= 27 September 2023 }}</ref>

In terms of international connectedness, as of 2024, London was one of two cities worldwide classified as an "Alpha++" city by the [[Globalization and World Cities Research Network]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=World Cities 2024 |url=https://gawc.lboro.ac.uk/gawc-worlds/the-world-according-to-gawc/world-cities-2024/ |access-date=2025-07-08 |website=GaWC |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Administration==
===Local government===
{{main|Local government in London|History of local government in London|List of heads of London government}}

[[File:City coat of arms, Holborn Viaduct (cropped).jpg|thumb|[[Coat of arms of the City of London|Arms of the Corporation of the City of London]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sacred-texts.com/lcr/fsca/fsca19.htm|title=The Heraldic Dragon|work=Fictitious and Symbolic Creatures in Art |first1=John |last1=Vinycomb |date=1909 |publisher=Internet Sacred Text Archive |access-date=23 July 2015|archive-date=28 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170528185311/http://www.sacred-texts.com/lcr/fsca/fsca19.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>]]
The administration of London is formed of two tiers: a citywide, strategic tier and a local tier. Citywide administration is coordinated by the [[Greater London Authority]] (GLA), while local administration is carried out by 33 smaller authorities.<ref name="london_032">{{Cite web |title=Who runs London – Find Out Who Runs London and How |url=http://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/who-runs-london|access-date=28 March 2021 |website=[[London Councils]] }}</ref> The GLA consists of two elected components: the [[mayor of London]], who has [[executive powers]], and the [[London Assembly]], which scrutinises the mayor's decisions and can accept or reject the mayor's budget proposals each year. The GLA has responsibility for the majority of London's transport system through its functional arm [[Transport for London]] (TfL), it is responsible for overseeing the city's police and fire services, and also for setting a strategic vision for London on a range of issues.<ref name="london_goverance">{{cite web |title=The essential guide to London local government |url=https://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/who-runs-london/essential-guide-london-local-government |publisher=London Councils |access-date=19 June 2023 |archive-date=6 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230406212109/https://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/who-runs-london/essential-guide-london-local-government |url-status=dead }}</ref> The headquarters of the GLA is [[City Hall, Newham|City Hall]], Newham. The mayor since 2016 has been [[Sadiq Khan]], the first [[Muslim]] mayor of a major Western capital.<ref>{{Cite news |title=London Elections 2016: Results |work=[[BBC News]] |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2016/london/results |access-date=7 May 2016}}</ref> The mayor's [[statutory planning]] strategy is published as the [[London Plan]], which was most recently revised in 2011.<ref name="london_plan">{{Cite web |title=The London Plan |url=http://www.london.gov.uk/priorities/planning/londonplan |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120508220051/http://www.london.gov.uk/priorities/planning/londonplan |archive-date=8 May 2012 |access-date=25 May 2012 |website=[[Greater London Authority]] }}</ref>

The local authorities are the councils of the 32 [[London boroughs]], and the [[City of London Corporation]].<ref name="london_035">{{Cite web |title=London Government Directory – London Borough Councils |url=http://directory.londoncouncils.gov.uk/ |access-date=29 March 2017 |website=[[London Councils]] |archive-date=8 November 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071108212853/http://directory.londoncouncils.gov.uk/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> They are responsible for most local services, such as local planning, schools, libraries, leisure and recreation, [[social work|social services]], local roads and refuse collection.<ref>{{cite web |title=London Government |url=https://www.politics.co.uk/reference/london-government/ |publisher=politics.co.uk |access-date=19 June 2023}}</ref> Certain functions, such as [[Waste disposal authorities in London|waste management]], are provided through joint arrangements. In 2009–2010 the combined revenue expenditure by London councils and the GLA amounted to just over £22&nbsp;billion (£14.7&nbsp;billion for the boroughs and £7.4&nbsp;billion for the GLA).<ref>{{Cite web |year=2011 |title=Local Government Financial Statistics England No.21 (2011) |url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/7462/1911067.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180428000713/https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/7462/1911067.pdf |url-status=live |access-date=25 March 2021 |archive-date=28 April 2018}}</ref> Although Greater London is almost entirely [[unparished area|unparished]], there is one [[parish council (England)|parish council]]; [[Queen's Park Community Council]], which forms a third tier of local government in its area.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://queensparkcommunitycouncil.gov.uk/about-us/|title=About us|publisher=Queen’s Park Community Council|accessdate=4 November 2025}}</ref>

The [[London Fire Brigade]] is the [[statute|statutory]] [[Fire service in the UK|fire and rescue service]] for Greater London, run by the [[London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority]]. It is the third largest fire service in the world.<ref name="LFB">{{Cite web |url=http://www.london-fire.gov.uk/WhoWeAre.asp |title=Who we are |publisher=London Fire Brigade |access-date=25 August 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429034538/http://www.london-fire.gov.uk/WhoWeAre.asp |archive-date=29 April 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[National Health Service]] [[Emergency medical services|ambulance services]] are provided by the [[London Ambulance Service|London Ambulance Service (LAS) NHS Trust]], the largest free-at-the-point-of-use emergency ambulance service in the world.<ref name="LAS">{{Cite web |url=http://www.londonambulance.nhs.uk/about_us.aspx |title=About us |publisher=London Ambulance Service NHS Trust |access-date=25 August 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110427031902/http://www.londonambulance.nhs.uk/about_us.aspx |archive-date=27 April 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The [[London Air Ambulance]] charity operates in conjunction with the LAS where required. [[HM Coastguard|His Majesty's Coastguard]] and the [[Royal National Lifeboat Institution]] operate on the [[River Thames]], which is under the jurisdiction of the [[Port of London Authority]] from [[Teddington Lock]] to the sea.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Port of London Act 1968 (as amended) |url=http://www.pla.co.uk/Port-of-London-Act-1968 |access-date=29 March 2021 |website=[[Port of London Authority]]}}</ref>

===National government===
[[File:10 Downing Street. MOD 45155532 (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|190px|[[10 Downing Street]], official residence of the [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]]]]
London is the seat of the [[Government of the United Kingdom]]. Many government departments, as well as the [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|prime minister's]] residence at [[10 Downing Street]], are based close to the [[Palace of Westminster]], particularly along [[Whitehall]].<ref name="london_036">{{Cite web |title=Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/prime-ministers-office-10-downing-street |access-date=25 March 2021 |website=uk.gov}}</ref> There are 75 [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|members of Parliament]] (MPs) from London; As at [[2024 United Kingdom general election|June 2024]], 59 are from the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]], 9 are [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservatives]], 6 are [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]] and one constituency is held by an [[Independent politician|independent]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=CBP-10009.pdf |url=https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-10009/CBP-10009.pdf |website=UK Parliament}}</ref> The ministerial post of [[Minister for London]] was created in 1994; however, it has been vacant since July 2024.

===Policing and crime===
{{main|Crime in London}}

Policing in Greater London, with the exception of the [[City of London]], is provided by the [[Metropolitan Police]] ("The Met"), overseen by the mayor through the [[Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime]] (MOPAC).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://policeauthority.org/Metropolitan/ |title=MPA: Metropolitan Police Authority |publisher=Metropolitan Police Authority |date=22 May 2012 |access-date=4 May 2013}}</ref> The Met is also referred to as [[Scotland Yard]] after the location of its original headquarters in a road called [[Great Scotland Yard]] in Whitehall. The City of London has its own police force&nbsp;– the [[City of London Police]].<ref name="Policing">{{Cite web |url=http://www.london.gov.uk/gla/policing.jsp |title=Policing |publisher=Greater London Authority |access-date=25 August 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080121173357/http://www.london.gov.uk/gla/policing.jsp |archive-date=21 January 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> First worn by Met police officers in 1863, the [[custodian helmet]] has been called a "cultural icon" and a "symbol of British law enforcement".<ref>{{cite news |title=Just how practical is a traditional Bobby's helmet? |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-magazine-monitor-30932319 |access-date=11 April 2023 |agency=BBC}}</ref> Introduced by the Met in 1929, the blue [[Police box|police telephone box]] (the basis for the [[TARDIS]] in the television series ''[[Doctor Who]]'') was once a common sight throughout London and regional cities in the UK.<ref>{{cite news |title=Police lose fight to ground Tardis |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2002/oct/23/bbc.broadcasting1 |access-date=15 April 2023 |work=The Guardian}}</ref>

[[File:SIS building (26327425611).jpg|thumbnail|upright=1.1|right|Headquarters of [[MI6]], the UK's foreign intelligence service, at the [[SIS Building]]. Scenes featuring [[James Bond]] (the fictional MI6 agent) have been filmed here.]]
The [[British Transport Police]] are responsible for police services on [[National Rail]], [[London Underground]], [[Docklands Light Railway]] and [[Tramlink]] services.<ref name="BTP">{{Cite web |year=2021 |title=About Us |url=https://www.btp.police.uk/police-forces/british-transport-police/areas/about-us/about-us/ |access-date=28 March 2021 |website=[[British Transport Police]]}}</ref>
The [[Ministry of Defence Police]] is a special police force in London, which does not generally become involved with policing the general public.<ref>{{Cite web |year=2017 |title=Ministry of Defence – Our Purpose |url=http://www.mod.police.uk/index.html |access-date=28 March 2021 |website=[[Ministry of Defence Police]] |archive-date=6 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506183729/http://www.mod.police.uk/index.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> The UK's domestic [[counterintelligence]] service, [[MI5]], is headquartered in [[Thames House]] on the north bank of the River Thames and the foreign intelligence service, [[MI6]], is headquartered in the [[SIS Building]] on the south bank.<ref>{{cite book|last=Andrew|first=Christopher|title=The Defence of the Realm: The Authorized History of MI5|page=[https://archive.org/details/defenceofrealmau0000andr/page/134 134]|publisher=Allen Lane|year=2009|isbn=978-0-713-99885-6|url=https://archive.org/details/defenceofrealmau0000andr/page/134}}</ref>

Crime rates vary widely across different areas of London. Crime figures are made available nationally at [[Local authority#England|Local Authority]] and [[Ward (England)|Ward]] level.<ref>{{Cite web |date=12 March 2021 |title=Recorded Crime: Geographic Breakdown – Metropolitan Police Service |url=https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/recorded_crime_summary |access-date=28 March 2021 |website=[[Greater London Authority]] |language=en-US}}</ref> In 2015 there were 118 homicides, a 25.5 per cent increase over 2014.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.itv.com/news/london/2016-01-24/london-murder-rate-up-14-over-the-past-year/ |title=London murder rate up 14% over the past year |publisher=ITV News |date=24 January 2016 |access-date=16 February 2016}}</ref>
Recorded crime has been rising in London, notably violent crime and murder by stabbing and other means have risen. There were 50 murders from the start of 2018 to mid April 2018. Funding cuts to police in London are likely to have contributed to this, though other factors are involved.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Crerar |first1=Pippa |last2=Gayle |first2=Damien |date=10 April 2018 |title=Sadiq Khan Holds City Hall Summit on How To Tackle Violent Crime |url=http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/apr/10/sadiq-khan-holds-city-hall-summit-on-how-to-tackle-violent |access-date=25 March 2021 |work=The Guardian}}</ref> However, homicide figures fell in 2022 with 109 recorded for the year, and the murder rate in London is much lower than [[List of cities by homicide rate|other major cities]] around the world.<ref>{{cite news |title=Met Police: London homicide figures fall in 2022 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-64183759 |access-date=5 January 2024 |publisher=BBC}}</ref>

==Geography==
{{Main|Geography of London}}

===Scope===
London, also known as [[Greater London]], is one of nine [[regions of England]] and the top subdivision covering most of the city's [[metropolis]]. The [[City of London]] at its core once comprised the whole settlement, but as its urban area grew, the [[City of London Corporation|Corporation of London]] resisted attempts to amalgamate the city with its [[suburbs]], causing "London" to be defined several ways.<ref name="chancery">{{Cite book|last1=Beavan |first1=Charles|last2=Bickersteth|first2=Harry|title=Reports of Cases in Chancery, Argued and Determined in the Rolls Court|publisher=Saunders and Benning |year=1865 |url=https://archive.org/details/reportscasesinc14romigoog}}</ref>

[[File:London by Sentinel-2.jpg|alt=|thumb|Satellite view of London in June 2018]]

Forty percent of Greater London is covered by the [[London postal district|London post town]], in which 'London' forms part of postal addresses.<ref name=london_042>{{Cite book |last=Stationery Office |title=The Inner London Letter Post |publisher=H.M.S.O |year=1980 |isbn=978-0-10-251580-0 |page=128}}</ref> The London telephone [[area code]] (020) covers a larger area, similar in size to Greater London, although some outer districts are excluded and some just outside included. The Greater London boundary has been [[List of Greater London boundary changes|aligned to the M25 motorway]] in places.<ref name=london_044>{{Cite web|url=http://www.opsi.gov.uk/SI/si1993/Uksi_19930441_en_1.htm|title=The Essex, Greater London and Hertfordshire (County and London Borough Boundaries) Order|year=1993|publisher=Office of Public Sector Information|access-date=6 June 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100107231348/http://www.opsi.gov.uk/SI/si1993/Uksi_19930441_en_1.htm|archive-date=7 January 2010|url-status=live}}</ref>

Further urban expansion is now prevented by the [[Metropolitan Green Belt]], although the built-up area extends beyond the boundary in places, producing a separately defined [[Greater London Urban Area]]. Beyond this is the vast [[London commuter belt]].<ref name=london_041>{{Cite web |url=http://www.london.gov.uk/assembly/reports/plansd/london_regional_200104.pdf |title=London in its Regional Setting |publisher=London Assembly |access-date=6 June 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080527193714/http://www.london.gov.uk/assembly/reports/plansd/london_regional_200104.pdf |archive-date=27 May 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Greater London is split for some purposes into [[Inner London]] and [[Outer London]],<ref name=london_045>{{Cite book |url=http://www.opsi.gov.uk/RevisedStatutes/Acts/ukpga/1963/cukpga_19630033_en_1 |title=London Government Act 1963 |year=1996 |publisher=Office of Public Sector Information |access-date=6 May 2008 |isbn=978-0-16-053895-7 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100817142118/http://www.opsi.gov.uk/RevisedStatutes/Acts/ukpga/1963/cukpga_19630033_en_1 |archive-date=17 August 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref> and by the River Thames into [[North London|North]] and [[South London|South]], with an informal [[Central London]] area. The coordinates of the nominal "centre of London", traditionally the original [[Eleanor Cross]] at [[Charing Cross]] near the junction of [[Trafalgar Square]] and [[Whitehall]], are about {{Coord|51|30|26|N|00|07|39|W|type:city(7,000,000)_region:GB}}.<ref name=london_039>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2005/08/15/charingcross_feature.shtml |title=London&nbsp;— Features&nbsp;— Where is the Centre of London? |publisher=BBC |access-date=6 June 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100817141948/http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2005/08/15/charingcross_feature.shtml |archive-date=17 August 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Status===
Within London, both the City of London and the [[City of Westminster]] have [[City status in the United Kingdom|city status]]. The City of London and the remainder of Greater London are both [[Ceremonial counties of England|counties for the purposes of lieutenancies]].<ref name=london_049>{{Cite web |url=http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1997/ukpga_19970023_en_1 |title=Lieutenancies Act 1997 |publisher=OPSI |access-date=7 June 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100522210452/http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1997/ukpga_19970023_en_1 |archive-date=22 May 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The area of [[Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England#Greater London|Greater London]] includes areas that are part of the [[Historic counties of England|historic counties]] of [[Middlesex]], [[Kent]], [[Surrey]], [[Essex]] and [[Hertfordshire]].<ref name="london_050">{{Cite book |last=Barlow |first=I.M. |title=Metropolitan Government |publisher=[[Routledge]] |year=1991 |isbn=9780415020992 |location=London |page=346}}</ref> More recently, Greater London has been defined as a [[Regions of England|region of England]] and in this context is known as ''London''.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.gos.gov.uk/gol/factgol/London/?a=42496 |title=Government Offices for the English Regions, Fact Files: London |publisher=Office for National Statistics |access-date=4 May 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080124102915/http://www.gos.gov.uk/gol/factgol/London/?a=42496 |archive-date=24 January 2008}}</ref>

It is the capital of the United Kingdom and of England by [[constitutional convention (political custom)|convention]] rather than statute. The capital of England was moved to London from [[Winchester]] as the [[Palace of Westminster]] developed in the 12th and 13th centuries to become the permanent location of the [[Noble court|royal court]], and thus the political capital of the nation.<ref name=london_060>{{Cite journal |last=Schofield |first=John |title=When London became a European capital |date=June 1999 |journal=British Archaeology |publisher=Council for British Archaeology |issue=45 |issn=1357-4442 |url=http://www.britarch.ac.uk/BA/ba45/ba45regs.html |access-date=6 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110425074539/http://www.britarch.ac.uk/ba/ba45/ba45regs.html |archive-date=25 April 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Topography===
[[File:London from Primrose Hill May 2013.jpg|thumb|London from [[Primrose Hill]]]]

Greater London encompasses a total area of {{convert|1583|km2|sqmi|order=flip}}. The extended area known as the London Metropolitan Region or the London Metropolitan Agglomeration, comprises a total area of {{convert|8382|km2|sqmi|order=flip}}.<ref name=Metrop>{{Cite web |url=http://www.dgcl.interieur.gouv.fr/sections/a_votre_service/lu_pour_vous/les_grandes_metropol/downloadFile/attachedFile/metropolislondres.pdf?nocache=1254397828.63 |title=Metropolis: 027 London, World Association of the Major Metropolises |access-date=3 May 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110427084411/http://www.dgcl.interieur.gouv.fr/sections/a_votre_service/lu_pour_vous/les_grandes_metropol/downloadFile/attachedFile/metropolislondres.pdf?nocache=1254397828.63 |archive-date=27 April 2011}}</ref>

Modern London stands on the [[River Thames|Thames]], its primary geographical feature, a [[Navigability|navigable]] river which crosses the city from the south-west to the east. The [[Thames Valley]] is a [[floodplain|flood plain]] surrounded by gently rolling hills including [[Parliament Hill, London|Parliament Hill]], [[Addington Hills]], and [[Primrose Hill]]. Historically London grew up at the [[lowest bridging point]] on the Thames. The Thames was once a much broader, shallower river with extensive [[marsh]]lands; at high tide, its shores reached five times their present width.<ref name=london_065>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M9qvtYYhRtAC&pg=PR11 |title=London: A History |first=Francis |last=Sheppard |page=10 |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2000 |isbn=978-0-19-285369-1 |access-date=6 June 2008}}</ref>

Since the [[Victorian era]] the Thames has been extensively [[Thames Embankment|embanked]], and many of its London [[Tributaries of the River Thames|tributaries]] now flow [[Subterranean rivers of London|underground]]. The Thames is a tidal river, and London is vulnerable to flooding.<ref name=london_066>{{Cite web |url=http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/yourenv/eff/1190084/natural_forces/flooding/?version=1&lang=_e |title=Flooding |publisher=UK [[Environment Agency]] |access-date=19 June 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060215080725/http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/yourenv/eff/1190084/natural_forces/flooding/?version=1&lang=_e |archive-date=15 February 2006 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The threat has increased over time because of a slow but continuous rise in [[Tide|high water]] level caused by [[climate change]] and by the slow 'tilting' of the British Isles as a result of [[post-glacial rebound]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Weatherwatch: The need to wake up to sea level rise in the UK |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jan/03/weatherwatch-sea-level-rise-uk-climate |access-date=29 May 2025 |work=The Guardian}}</ref>

===Climate===
{{main|Climate of London}}

London has a temperate [[oceanic climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Cfb''). Rainfall records have been kept in the city since at least 1697, when records began at [[Kew]]. At Kew, the most rainfall in one month is {{Convert|189|mm|in|order=flip|abbr=}} in November 1755 and the least is {{Convert|0|mm|in|order=flip|abbr=}} in both December 1788 and July 1800. Mile End also had {{Convert|0|mm|in|order=flip|abbr=}} in April 1893.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.trevorharley.com/weather-april.html |title=Weather April |website=trevorharley.com}}</ref> The wettest year on record is 1903, with a total fall of {{Convert|969|mm|in|order=flip|abbr=}} and the driest is 1921, with a total fall of {{Convert|308|mm|in|order=flip|abbr=}}.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://old.wetterzentrale.de/klima/pkewgar.html |title=Niederschlagsmonatssummen KEW GARDENS 1697–1987 |access-date=16 May 2020 |archive-date=24 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224100657/http://old.wetterzentrale.de/klima/pkewgar.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> The average annual precipitation amounts to about 600mm, which is half the annual rainfall of [[New York City]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Average Annual Precipitation by City in the US – Current Results |url=https://www.currentresults.com/Weather/US/average-annual-precipitation-by-city.php|access-date=25 March 2021 |website=currentresults.com}}</ref> Despite relatively low annual precipitation, London receives 109.6 rainy days on the 1.0mm threshold annually. London is vulnerable to [[climate change in the United Kingdom|climate change]], and there is concern among [[hydrology|hydrological]] experts that households may run out of water before 2050.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/london-water-drought-climate-change-b2079811.html?amp|title=London could run out of water in 25 years as cities worldwide face rising risk of drought, report warns|author=Saphora Smith|newspaper=The Independent|date=16 May 2022|access-date=5 June 2022}}</ref>

Temperature extremes in London range from {{convert|40.2|°C|°F|1}} at Heathrow on 19 July 2022 down to {{convert|-17.4|°C|°F}} at Northolt on 13 December 1981.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://starlingsroost.ddns.net/weather/ukobs/mintemp_map.php?date=1981-12-13|title=Minimum Temperatures observed on 13th Dec 1981 at 06Z (SYNOP)/09Z (MIDAS/BUFR) UTC (529 reports)|access-date=30 April 2023|archive-date=30 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230430002018/http://starlingsroost.ddns.net/weather/ukobs/mintemp_map.php?date=1981-12-13|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/cdo-web/search |title=Search &#124; Climate Data Online (CDO) &#124; National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) |access-date=1 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190729134639/https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/cdo-web/search |archive-date=29 July 2019 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Records for [[atmospheric pressure]] have been kept at London since 1692. The highest pressure ever reported is {{convert|1049.8|mbar|inHg}} on 20 January 2020.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Amos |first=Jonathan |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-51180211 |title=London breaks a high-pressure record |date=20 January 2020 |work=BBC News |access-date=13 February 2020}}</ref>

Summers are generally warm, sometimes hot. London's average July high is 23.5&nbsp;°C (74.3&nbsp;°F). On average each year, London experiences 31 days above {{convert|25|°C|°F|1}} and 4.2 days above {{convert|30.0|°C|°F|1}}. During the [[2003 European heat wave]], prolonged heat led to hundreds of heat-related deaths.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=The impact of the 2003 heat wave on daily mortality in England and Wales and the use of rapid weekly mortality estimates |journal=Eurosurveillance |volume=10 |issue=7 |date=1 July 2005 |first1=H |last1=Johnson |first2=RS |last2=Kovats |first3=G |last3=McGregor |first4=J |last4=Stedman |first5=M |last5=Gibbs |first6=H |last6=Walton |pages=15–16 |doi=10.2807/esm.10.07.00558-en |pmid=16088043 |url=http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=558|doi-access=free}}</ref> A previous spell of 15 consecutive days above {{convert|32.2|°C|°F|1}} in England in 1976 also caused many heat related deaths.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Taylor |first=Brian |year=2002 |title=1976. The Incredible Heatwave. |url=https://www.theweatheroutlook.com/twoother/twocontent.aspx?type=libgen&id=1432 |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080712080114/https://www.theweatheroutlook.com/twoother/twocontent.aspx?type=libgen&id=1432 |archive-date=12 July 2008 |access-date=25 March 2021 |website=TheWeatherOutlook}}</ref> A previous temperature of {{convert|37.8|°C|°F}} in August 1911 at the Greenwich station was later disregarded as non-standard.<ref name="metoffice.gov.uk">{{Cite web |year=1911 |title=Monthly Weather Report of the Meteorological Office |url=https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/binaries/content/assets/mohippo/pdf/i/7/aug1911.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171113123406/https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/binaries/content/assets/mohippo/pdf/i/7/aug1911.pdf |archive-date=13 November 2017 |access-date=25 March 2021 |publisher=Wyman and Sons, Ltd.}}</ref> Droughts can also, occasionally, be a problem, especially in summer, most recently in summer 2018, and with much drier than average conditions prevailing from May to December.<ref>{{Cite web |year=2018 |title=UK Droughts: SPI |url=https://eip.ceh.ac.uk/apps/droughts/ |access-date=25 March 2021 |website=[[UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology]]}}</ref> However, the most consecutive days without rain was 73 days in the spring of 1893.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.weatheronline.co.uk/reports/philip-eden/Longest-drought-for-2-years.htm |title=Philip Eden: Longest drought for 2 years – weatheronline.co.uk |website=weatheronline.co.uk |access-date=10 April 2019}}</ref>

Winters are generally cool with little temperature variation. Heavy snow is rare but snow usually falls at least once each winter. Spring and autumn can be pleasant. As a large city, London has a considerable [[urban heat island]] effect,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://legacy.london.gov.uk/mayor/environment/climate-change/docs/UHI_summary_report.pdf |title=London's Urban Heat Island: A Summary for Decision Makers |publisher=Greater London Authority |date=October 2006 |access-date=29 April 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120816015955/http://legacy.london.gov.uk/mayor/environment/climate-change/docs/UHI_summary_report.pdf |archive-date=16 August 2012}}</ref> making the centre of London at times {{convert|5|C-change|0}} warmer than the suburbs and outskirts.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Eden |first=Philip |date=9 June 2004 |title=Ever Warmer as Temperatures Rival France |location=London |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1463994/Ever-warmer-as-temperatures-rival-France.html |url-status=live |access-date=25 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200326104750/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1463994/Ever-warmer-as-temperatures-rival-France.html |archive-date=26 March 2020}}</ref>

{{London weatherbox}}

===Areas===
{{main|List of areas of London|London boroughs}}

Places within London's vast urban area are identified using area names, such as [[Mayfair]], [[Southwark]], [[Wembley]] and [[Whitechapel]]. These are either informal designations, reflect the names of villages that have been absorbed by sprawl, or are superseded administrative units such as parishes or [[Metropolitan boroughs of the County of London|former boroughs]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.historytoday.com/ad-harvey/london%E2%80%99s-boroughs|title=London's Boroughs|publisher=History Today|access-date=19 April 2023}}</ref>

[[File:London (44761485915).jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|The [[West End theatre]] district in 2016]]
Such names have remained in use through tradition, each referring to a local area with its own distinctive character, but without official boundaries. Since 1965, Greater London has been divided into 32 [[London borough]]s in addition to its [[London Wall|once walled]] ancient core, the City of London.<ref name=london_071>{{Cite web |url=http://www.london.gov.uk/london-life/city-government/boroughs.jsp |title=London boroughs&nbsp;— London Life, GLA |publisher=London Government |access-date=3 November 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071213025156/http://www.london.gov.uk/london-life/city-government/boroughs.jsp |archive-date=13 December 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The City of London is the main financial district,<ref name=london_073>{{Cite web |url=http://www.london.gov.uk/london-life/business-and-jobs/financial-centre.jsp |title=London as a financial centre |publisher=Mayor of London |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080106051217/http://www.london.gov.uk/london-life/business-and-jobs/financial-centre.jsp |archive-date=6 January 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> and [[Canary Wharf]] has recently developed into a new financial and commercial hub in the [[London Docklands|Docklands]] to the east.

[[West London]] is located west of the City of London. The [[West End of London]] is a prestigious area of inner West London focused on parts of [[Westminster]] close to the City of London. The West End includes London’s main shopping and entertainment areas, including [[West End theatre]], and as such attracts many tourists.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1608619.stm |title=West End still drawing crowds |work=BBC News |access-date=6 June 2008 |date=22 October 2001 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511121403/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1608619.stm |archive-date=11 May 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> West London includes expensive residential areas where properties can sell for tens of millions of pounds.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/money/2006/apr/17/tax.g2 |title=Super Rich |date=17 April 2006 |work=The Guardian |access-date=7 June 2008 |location=London |first=James |last=Meek |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110501134745/http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2006/apr/17/tax.g2 |archive-date=1 May 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> The average price for properties in Kensington and Chelsea is over £2 million.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.rbkc.gov.uk/planningandconservation/planningpolicy/idoc.ashx?docid=bf56bda1-575c-435b-92ac-9a71625c1746&version=-1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161010131732/https://www.rbkc.gov.uk/planningandconservation/planningpolicy/idoc.ashx?docid=bf56bda1-575c-435b-92ac-9a71625c1746&version=-1 |url-status=dead |archive-date=10 October 2016 |title=Information on latest house prices in the Royal Borough |publisher=Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/aug/08/housing-london-jump-19-per-cent-year |title=Average house prices in London jump 19 percent in a year |first=Rupert |last=Jones |work=The Guardian |location=London |date=8 August 2014 |access-date=24 September 2014}}</ref>

[[East London]] is located to the east of the City of London, with the [[East End of London|East End]] being the part of East London closest to the City of London. It has long been known for its high immigrant population and for being one of the poorest areas of the capital.<ref name="East End">{{Cite news |url=http://msnbc.msn.com/id/8487518/site/newsweek/ |date=6 July 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060829024354/http://msnbc.msn.com/id/8487518/site/newsweek/ |archive-date=29 August 2006 |title=Tomorrow's East End |work=Newsweek |author=Flynn, Emily |location=New York |url-status=dead}}</ref> East London included the main northern part of the [[Port of London]] and extensive industrial areas. In the late 20th century, deindustrialisation and the closure of the docks brought great hardship. Throughout the area many large brownfield areas now being redeveloped including [[London Riverside]] and the [[Lower Lea Valley]], which was developed into the [[Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park|Olympic Park]] for the [[London 2012 Olympic bid|2012 Olympics and Paralympics]].<ref name="East End"/>

[[North London]] is situated north of the City of London, with [[South London]] (whose development started with the [[ancient borough]] of Southwark at the southern end of [[London Bridge]]) occupies all of London south of the River Thames.

===Architecture===
{{Main|Architecture of London|List of tallest buildings and structures in London|List of demolished buildings and structures in London}}

[[File:Aerial Tower of London.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|The [[Tower of London]], a medieval castle, dating in part to 1078]]

London's buildings are too diverse to be characterised by any particular architectural style, partly because of their varying ages. Many grand houses and public buildings, such as the [[National Gallery]], are constructed from [[Portland stone]]. Some areas of the city, particularly those just west of the centre, are characterised by white [[stucco]] or whitewashed buildings. Few structures in central London pre-date the [[Great Fire of London|Great Fire]] of 1666, these being a few trace [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] remains, the [[Tower of London]] and a few scattered [[Tudor architecture|Tudor]] survivors in the city. Further out is, for example, the Tudor-period [[Hampton Court Palace]].<ref>{{cite book| author = Summerson, John | year = 1969| title = Great Palaces (Hampton Court. pp. 12–23)| publisher = Hamlyn| isbn = 9780600016823| url = https://archive.org/details/greatpalaces0000unse| author-link = John Summerson}}</ref>

Part of the varied architectural heritage are the 17th-century churches by [[Christopher Wren]], neoclassical financial institutions such as the [[Royal Exchange, London|Royal Exchange]] and the [[Bank of England]], to the early-20th-century [[Old Bailey]] courthouse and the 1960s [[Barbican Estate]]. The 1939 [[Battersea Power Station]] by the river in the south-west is a local landmark, while some railway termini are excellent examples of [[Victorian architecture]], most notably [[St Pancras railway station|St. Pancras]] and [[Paddington railway station|Paddington]].<ref name=london_078>{{Cite web |url=http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Paddington_Station.html |title=Paddington Station |publisher=Great Buildings |access-date=6 June 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110525164017/http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Paddington_Station.html |archive-date=25 May 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The density of London varies, with high employment density in the [[Central London|central area]] and [[Canary Wharf]], high residential densities in [[inner London]], and lower densities in [[Outer London]].

[[File:Buckingham Palace, London - April 2009.jpg|thumb|The east wing public façade of [[Buckingham Palace]] was built between 1847 and 1850; it was remodelled to its present form in 1913.]]
[[File:Trafalgar Square by Christian Reimer.jpg|thumb|[[Trafalgar Square]] and its fountains, with [[Nelson's Column]] on the right]]

The [[Monument to the Great Fire of London]] in the City of London provides views of the surrounding area while commemorating the [[Great Fire of London]], which originated nearby. [[Marble Arch]] and [[Wellington Arch]], at the north and south ends of [[Park Lane (road)|Park Lane]], have royal connections, as do the [[Albert Memorial]] and [[Royal Albert Hall]] in [[Kensington]]. [[Nelson's Column]] (built to commemorate [[Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson|Admiral Horatio Nelson]] who is depicted in a {{convert|17|ft}} statue at the top) is a nationally recognised monument in [[Trafalgar Square]], one of the focal points of Central London.<ref>{{cite news |title=Nelson's Column is 16ft shorter than everybody thought |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1523653/Nelsons-Column-is-16ft-shorter-than-everybody-thought.html |date=12 July 2006|access-date=26 April 2025 |work=The Telegraph}}</ref> Older buildings are mainly brick, commonly the yellow [[London stock brick]].<ref name=london_077>{{Cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=A1&xml=/property/2008/03/27/lpgreen127.xml |title=Eco homes: Wooden it be lovely... ? |work=The Daily Telegraph |access-date=12 October 2008 |location=London |first=Sarah |last=Lonsdale |date=27 March 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130308205754/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=A1&xml=/property/2008/03/27/lpgreen127.xml |archive-date=8 March 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

In the dense areas, most of the concentration is via medium- and high-rise buildings. London's skyscrapers, such as [[30 St Mary Axe]] (designed by [[Foster and Partners]] and dubbed "The Gherkin"), [[Tower 42]], the [[Broadgate Tower]] and [[One Canada Square]], are mostly in the two financial districts, the City of London and [[Canary Wharf]]. High-rise development is restricted at certain sites if it would obstruct [[protected view]]s of [[St Paul's Cathedral]] and other historic buildings. This protective policy, known as 'St Paul's Heights', has been in operation by the City of London since 1937.<ref name=Protected>{{cite news |title=Protected views and tall buildings |url=https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/services/planning/planning-policy/protected-views-and-tall-buildings |access-date=28 June 2022 |website=City of London.gov.uk |archive-date=1 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221101182326/https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/services/planning/planning-policy/protected-views-and-tall-buildings |url-status=dead }}</ref> Nevertheless, there are [[Tall buildings in London|a number of tall skyscrapers]] in Central London, including the 95-storey [[Shard London Bridge]], the [[List of tallest buildings in the United Kingdom|tallest building in the UK]] and Western Europe.<ref>{{cite news |title=Take a tour of The Shard's viewing platform |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-20979547 |access-date=16 June 2023 |agency=BBC}}</ref>

Other notable modern buildings include [[The Scalpel]], [[20 Fenchurch Street]] (dubbed 'The Walkie-Talkie'), the former [[City Hall, London (Southwark)|City Hall]] in [[Southwark]], the [[Art Deco]] [[BBC Broadcasting House]] plus the [[Postmodernism|Postmodernist]] [[British Library]] in [[Somers Town, London|Somers Town]]/[[Kings Cross, London|Kings Cross]] and [[No 1 Poultry]] by [[James Stirling (architect)|James Stirling]]. The [[BT Tower]] stands at {{convert|620|ft|0}} and has a 360-degree coloured LED screen near the top. What was formerly the [[Millennium Dome]], by the Thames to the east of Canary Wharf, is now an entertainment venue called [[The O2 Arena|the O<sub>2</sub> Arena]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/2788214/The-lemon-Dome-that-was-transformed-into-O2s-concert-crown.html |title=The Lemon Dome That Was Transformed into O2's Concert Crown |last=White |first=Dominic |date=15 April 2008|work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|access-date=19 June 2022}}</ref>

{{Wide image|Palace of Westminster from the dome on Methodist Central Hall (cropped).jpg|900px|The [[Houses of Parliament]] and [[Big Ben|Elizabeth Tower]] (Big Ben) on the right foreground, the [[London Eye]] on the left foreground and [[The Shard]] with [[Canary Wharf]] in the background; seen in September 2014}}

===Natural history===
[[File:Owl on a phone box, Shepherd Market.jpg|thumb|Owl decoy on top of a [[red telephone box]] in [[Mayfair]] as a deterrent to pigeons; there are an estimated 3 million pigeons in London.<ref name="Pigeon">{{cite news |title=The London Question: Are pigeons misunderstood? |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/comment/london-city-pigeons-tiktok-misunderstood-b1191267.html |access-date=11 January 2025 |work=Evening Standard}}</ref>]]

The [[London Natural History Society]] suggests that London is "one of the World's Greenest Cities" with more than 40% green space or open water. They indicate that 2000 species of flowering plant have been found growing there and that the [[Tideway|tidal Thames]] supports 120 species of fish.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.lnhs.org.uk/index.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070212143739/http://www.lnhs.org.uk/Index.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=12 February 2007 |title=Wildlife in London, England: LNHS Home page |website=lnhs.org.uk}}</ref> They state that over 60 species of bird nest in [[central London]] and that their members have recorded 47 species of butterfly, 1,173 moths and more than 270 kinds of spider around London. London's [[wetland]] areas support nationally important populations of many water birds. In 2024 there was an estimated 3 million pigeons in London.<ref name="Pigeon"/> At least [[Ravens of the Tower of London|six ravens are kept at the Tower of London]] at all times.<ref>{{cite news |title=The Ravens at the Tower of London |url=https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryMagazine/DestinationsUK/Tower-Ravens/ |access-date=14 July 2025 |work=Historic UK}}</ref> London has 38 [[List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Greater London|Sites of Special Scientific Interest]] (SSSIs), two [[national nature reserve (United Kingdom)|national nature reserve]]s and 76 [[List of local nature reserves in Greater London|local nature reserve]]s.<ref>{{Cite web |title=London Natural History Society – Home |url=https://lnhs.org.uk/ |access-date=25 March 2021 |website=lnhs.org.uk}}</ref>

[[Amphibians]] are common in the capital, including [[smooth newt]]s living by the [[Tate Modern]], and [[common frog]]s, [[common toad]]s, [[palmate newt]]s, and [[great crested newt]]s. On the other hand, native reptiles such as [[slowworm]]s, [[common lizard]]s, [[barred grass snake]]s and [[Vipera berus|adders]], are mostly only seen in [[Outer London]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tuffrey |first=Laurie |date=27 July 2012 |title=London's Amphibians and Reptile Populations Mapped |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/jul/27/london-amphibian-reptile-map |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210102204944/https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/jul/27/london-amphibian-reptile-map |archive-date=2 January 2021 |access-date=25 March 2021 |work=The Guardian|language=en}}</ref>

[[File:City of London Cemetery, Newham, London England - fox 18.jpg|left|255px|thumb|A fox in the [[City of London Cemetery and Crematorium|City of London Cemetery]]]]

Among other inhabitants of London are 10,000 [[red fox]]es, so that there are now 16 foxes for every square mile (6 per square km) of London. Other mammals found in [[Greater London]] are [[European hedgehog|hedgehog]], [[brown rat]], mice, [[European rabbit|rabbit]], [[shrew]], [[vole]] and [[grey squirrel]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mammals|url=https://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/richmond-park/richmond-park-attractions/wildlife/mammals |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200307135419/https://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/richmond-park/richmond-park-attractions/wildlife/mammals |archive-date=7 March 2020 |access-date=25 March 2021 |website=[[The Royal Parks]]}}</ref> In wilder areas of Outer London, such as [[Epping Forest]], a wide variety of mammals are found, including [[European hare]], [[European badger|badger]], [[field vole|field]], [[bank vole|bank]] and [[European water vole|water vole]], [[wood mouse]], [[yellow-necked mouse]], [[European mole|mole]], [[shrew]] and [[least weasel|weasel]], in addition to red fox, grey squirrel and hedgehog. A dead [[Eurasian otter|otter]] was found at The Highway, in [[Wapping]], about 1&nbsp;mile (1.6&nbsp;km) from the [[Tower Bridge]], which would suggest that they have begun to move back after being absent a hundred years from the city.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/topstories/946018.londons_first_wild_otter_found/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100401110428/http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/topstories/946018.londons_first_wild_otter_found/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=1 April 2010 |title=London's first wild otter found |first=Peter |last=Law |website=This Is Local London}}</ref> Ten of England's eighteen species of bats have been recorded in Epping Forest: [[soprano pipistrelle|soprano]], [[nathusius' pipistrelle|Nathusius']] and [[common pipistrelle]]s, [[common noctule]], [[serotine]], [[barbastelle]], [[Daubenton's bat|Daubenton's]], [[brown long-eared bat|brown long-eared]], [[Natterer's bat|Natterer's]] and [[Leisler's bat|Leisler's]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/green-spaces/epping-forest/wildlife-and-nature/Pages/Mammals.aspx |title=Mammals |website=cityoflondon.gov.uk |access-date=16 November 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150318070552/http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/green-spaces/epping-forest/wildlife-and-nature/Pages/Mammals.aspx |archive-date=18 March 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Herds of [[Red deer|red]] and [[fallow deer]] roam freely within much of [[Richmond Park|Richmond]] and [[Bushy Park]]. A cull takes place each November and February to ensure numbers can be sustained.<ref name="Deer cull begins">{{Cite news |author=Bishop |first=Rachael |date=5 November 2012 |title=Richmond Park Deer Cull Begins |work=Sutton & Croydon Guardian |location=London |url=http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/local/wandsworthnews/10026864.Richmond_Park_deer_cull_begins/ |url-status=live |access-date=25 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200307135458/https://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/10026864.richmond-park-deer-cull-begins/ |archive-date=7 March 2020}}</ref> Epping Forest is also known for its fallow deer, which can frequently be seen in herds to the north of the Forest. A rare population of [[melanistic]], black fallow deer is also maintained at the Deer Sanctuary near [[Theydon Bois]]. [[Reeve's muntjac|Muntjac deer]] are also found in the forest. While Londoners are accustomed to wildlife such as birds and foxes sharing the city, more recently urban deer have started becoming a regular feature, and whole herds of fallow deer come into residential areas at night to take advantage of London's green spaces.<ref>{{Cite news |date=25 February 2014 |title=In Pictures: London's Urban Deer|work=Evening Standard|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/in-pictures-londons-urban-deer-9149902.html|url-status=live |access-date=25 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210301073242/https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/in-pictures-london-s-urban-deer-9149902.html |archive-date=1 March 2021}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{main|Demographics of London}}

{|class="wikitable floatright" style="text-align:right;" 
|+2021 census - population of London by country of birth<ref>{{cite web |title=Census 2021 Bulk Data Download - TS012 Country of birth (detailed) |publisher=Durham University |url=https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/census/2021/bulk}}</ref>
|-
!Country of birth!!  Population  !! Percent
|-
!{{flag|United Kingdom}} || 5,223,986 || 59.4
|-
!Non-United Kingdom|| 3,575,739 || 40.6
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |{{flag|India}} || 322,644 || 3.7
|-
| style=text-align:left;|{{flag|Romania}} || 175,991 || 2.0
|-
| style=text-align:left;|{{flag|Poland}} || 149,397 || 1.7
|-
| style=text-align:left;|{{flag|Bangladesh}} || 138,895 || 1.6
|-
| style=text-align:left;|{{flag|Pakistan}} || 129,774 || 1.5
|-
| style=text-align:left;|{{flag|Italy}} || 126,059 || 1.4
|-
| style=text-align:left;|{{flag|Nigeria}} || 117,145 || 1.3
|-
| style=text-align:left;|{{flag|Ireland}} || 96,566 || 1.1
|-
| style=text-align:left;|{{flag|Sri Lanka}} || 80,379 || 0.9
|-
| style=text-align:left;|{{flag|France}} || 77,715 || 0.9
|-
| style=text-align:left;|Others || 2,161,174 || 24.6
|-
!Total|| 8,799,725 || 100.0
|}

[[File:Greater London population density map, 2011 census.png|thumb|upright=1.3|Population density map (%)]]

London's continuous urban area extends beyond Greater London and numbered 9,787,426 people in 2011,<ref name="urbanpopulation"/> while its wider [[London metropolitan area|metropolitan area]] had a population of 15.1 million in 2025.<ref name="CityPopulation.de show" /> A net 726,000&nbsp;immigrants arrived there in the period 1991–2001.<ref name="Immigration">{{Cite web |last=Leppard |first=David |date=10 April 2005 |title=Immigration Rise Increases Segregation in British Cities |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article379434.ece |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080211185641/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article379434.ece |archive-date=11 February 2008 |access-date=25 March 2021 |website=[[The Times]]}}</ref>

The region covers {{convert|1579|km2|sqmi|order=flip}}, giving a population density of {{convert|5177|PD/km2|PD/sqmi|order=flip}}<ref name=Metrop/> more than ten times that of any other [[ITL (UK)|British region]].<ref name=london_087>{{Cite web |url=http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_population/regional_snapshot/RS_Lon.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080624195152/http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_population/regional_snapshot/RS_Lon.pdf |archive-date=24 June 2008 |title=Population density of London: by London borough, 2006 |publisher=UK Statistics Authority |url-status=live}}</ref> In population terms, London is the 19th [[World's largest cities|largest city]] and the 18th [[List of metropolitan areas by population|largest metropolitan region]].<ref name=Billionaires>{{Cite news |title='Rich List' counts more than 100 UK billionaires |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27360032 |access-date=11 May 2014 |work=BBC News |date=11 May 2014}}</ref>

In tenure, 23.1% socially rent within London, 46.8% either own their house outright or with a mortgage or loan and 30% privately rent at the 2021 census.<ref>{{Cite web |title=TS054 - Tenure - Nomis - Official Census and Labour Market Statistics |url=https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/datasets/c2021ts054 |access-date=14 January 2024 |website=nomisweb.co.uk}}</ref> Many Londoners work from home; 42.9% did so at the 2021 census, while 20.6% drove a car to work. The biggest decrease in method of transportation was seen within those who take the train and underground, declining from 22.6% in 2011 to 9.6% in 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |title=TS061 - Method used to travel to work - Nomis - Official Census and Labour Market Statistics |url=https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/datasets/c2021ts061 |access-date=14 January 2024 |website=nomisweb.co.uk}}</ref> In qualifications, 46.7% of London had census classified Level 4 qualifications or higher, which is predominately university degrees. 16.2% had no qualifications at all.<ref>{{Cite web |title=TS067 - Highest level of qualification - Nomis - Official Census and Labour Market Statistics |url=https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/datasets/c2021ts067 |access-date=14 January 2024 |website=nomisweb.co.uk}}</ref>

===Age structure and median age===
London's median age is one of the youngest regions in the UK. It was recorded in 2018 that London's residents were 36.5&nbsp;years old, which was younger than the UK median of 40.3.<ref name=":1" />

Children younger than 14 constituted 20.6% of the population in Outer London in 2018, and 18% in Inner London. The 15–24 age group was 11.1% in Outer and 10.2% in Inner London, those aged 25–44&nbsp;years 30.6% in Outer London and 39.7% in Inner London, those aged 45–64&nbsp;years 24% and 20.7% in Outer and Inner London respectively. Those aged 65 and over are 13.6% in Outer London, but only 9.3% in Inner London.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=20 April 2020 |title=The Age Distribution of the Population |url=https://www.trustforlondon.org.uk/data/londons-population-age/ |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200702033916/https://www.trustforlondon.org.uk/data/population-age-groups/ |archive-date=2 July 2020 |access-date=27 March 2021 |website=[[Trust for London]]}}</ref>

=== Country of birth ===
The 2021 census recorded that 3,575,739 people (40.6%) of London's population were [[Foreign-born population of the United Kingdom|foreign-born]],<ref name="Census2021">{{cite news |title=International migration, England and Wales: Census 2021 |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/internationalmigration/bulletins/internationalmigrationenglandandwales/census2021#:~:text=London%20has%20remained%20the%20region,had%20a%20non%2DUK%20passport |access-date=3 December 2022 |publisher=ONS}}</ref> making it among the cities with the [[foreign born#Cities with largest foreign born populations|largest immigrant population]] in terms of absolute numbers and a growth of roughly 3 million since 1971 when the foreign born population was 668,373.<ref>{{Cite web |last=UK Data Service |first=Jisc |date=21 March 2013 |title=Casweb |url=https://casweb.ukdataservice.ac.uk//index.htm |access-date=14 January 2024 |website=casweb.ukdataservice.ac.uk |language=English}}</ref> 13% of the total population were Asian born (32.1% of the total foreign born population), 7.1% are African born (17.5%), 15.5% are Other European born (38.2%), and 4.2% were born in the Americas and Caribbean (10.3%).<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Countries of birth - Office for National Statistics |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/datasets/create/filter-outputs/2260f256-3757-4b75-835d-b904cb29a357 |access-date=14 January 2024 |website=ons.gov.uk}}</ref> The 5 largest single countries of origin were respectively India, Romania, Poland, Bangladesh and Pakistan.<ref name=":3" />

About 56.8 per cent of children born in London in 2021 were born to a mother who was born abroad.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=Parents' country of birth - Office for National Statistics |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/livebirths/datasets/parentscountryofbirth |access-date=14 January 2024 |website=ons.gov.uk}}</ref> This trend has been increasing in the past two decades when foreign born mothers made up 43.3% of births in 2001 in London, becoming the majority in the middle of the 2000s by 2006, comprising 52.5%.<ref name=":4" />

A large degree of the foreign born population who were present at the 2021 census had arrived relatively recently. Of the total population, those that arrived between the years of 2011 and 2021 account for 16.6% of London.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |title=Year of arrival in the uk - Office for National Statistics |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/datasets/create/filter-outputs/038e579d-69a5-4765-821f-864f6d4ea8a1 |access-date=14 January 2024 |website=ons.gov.uk}}</ref> Those who arrived between 2001 and 2010 are 10.4%, between 1991 and 2001, 5.7%, and prior to 1990, 7.3%.<ref name=":6" />

===Ethnic groups===
{{main|Ethnic groups in London}}

{{multiple image
| caption_align     = center
| header_align      = center
| align             = right
| direction         = vertical
| width             = 200
| header            = Maps of Greater London showing percentage distribution of selected ethnic groups according to the 2001-21 Census
| image1            = White percentage of London from 2001 to 2021.gif
| alt1              = White
| caption1          = [[White people in the United Kingdom|White]] (53.8%, 2021)
| image2            = Asian percentage of London from 2001 to 2021.gif
| alt2              = Asian
| caption2          = [[British Asian|Asian]] (20.8%, 2021)
| image3            = Black percentage of London from 2001 to 2021.gif
| alt3              = Black
| caption3          = [[Black British people|Black]] (13.5%, 2021)
}}

According to the [[Office for National Statistics]], based on the 2021 census, 53.8% of the 8,173,941 inhabitants of London were [[White people|White]], with 36.8% [[White British]], 1.8% [[Irish people in Great Britain|White Irish]], 0.1% [[Gypsy (term)|Gypsy]] or [[Irish Travellers|Irish Traveller]], 0.4% Roma and 14.7% classified as [[Other White]].<ref name=":5">{{cite web |title=Ethnic group - Office for National Statistics |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/datasets/TS021/editions/2021/versions/1/filter-outputs/d2f0a39a-75b6-4995-b4bd-a5b68ff79027#get-data |access-date=5 December 2022 |website=Ons.gov.uk}}</ref> Meanwhile, 22.2% of Londoners were of [[British Asians|Asian]] or mixed-Asian descent, with 20.8% being of full Asian descent and 1.4% being of mixed-Asian heritage. [[British Indian|Indians]] accounted for 7.5% of the population, followed by [[British Bangladeshis|Bangladeshis]] and [[British Pakistanis|Pakistanis]] at 3.7% and 3.3% respectively. [[British Chinese|Chinese]] people accounted for 1.7%, and [[British Arabs|Arabs]] for 1.6%. A further 4.6% were classified as "Other Asian."<ref name=":5" /> 15.9% of London's population were of [[Black British people|Black]] or mixed-Black descent. 13.5% were of full Black descent, with persons of mixed-Black heritage comprising 2.4%. [[Black British people|Black Africans]] accounted for 7.9% of London's population; 3.9% identified as [[British African-Caribbean people|Black Caribbean]], and 1.7% as "Other Black." 5.7% were of [[Mixed (United Kingdom ethnicity category)|mixed race]].<ref name=":5" /> This ethnic structure has changed considerably since the 1960s. Estimates for 1961 put the total non-White ethnic minority population at 179,109 comprising 2.3% of the population at the time,<ref>{{cite journal |last=Lee |first=Trevor R. |date=1973 |title=Immigrants in London: Trends in distribution and concentration 1961–71 |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1369183X.1973.9975191 |journal=Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies |language=en |volume=2 |issue=2 |pages=145–158 |doi=10.1080/1369183X.1973.9975191 |issn=1369-183X|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Collins |first=Charles |date=1971 |title=Distribution of Commonwealth immigrants in Greater London |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/43617773 |journal=Ekistics |volume=32 |issue=188 |pages=12–21 |jstor=43617773 |issn=0013-2942}}</ref> having risen since then to 1,346,119 and 20.2% in 1991<ref>{{Cite web |title=1991 census - local base statistics - Nomis - Official Census and Labour Market Statistics |url=https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/datasets/lbs91 |access-date=14 January 2024 |website=nomisweb.co.uk}}</ref> and 4,068,553 and 46.2% in 2021.<ref name=":7">{{cite web |title=Ethnic group - Office for National Statistics |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/datasets/TS021/editions/2021/versions/1/filter-outputs/d2f0a39a-75b6-4995-b4bd-a5b68ff79027 |access-date=14 January 2024 |website=ons.gov.uk}}</ref> Of those of a White British background, estimates for 1971 put the population at 6,500,000 and 87% of the total population,<ref>{{citation |first1=David |last1=Goodhew |first2=Anthony-Paul |last2=Cooper |title=The Desecularisation of the City: London's Churches, 1980 to the Present |date=2018 |url=https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781351167765-1/desecularisation-city-london-churches-1980-present-david-goodhew-anthony-paul-cooper |work=The Desecularisation of the City |pages=3–38 |access-date=14 January 2024 |publisher=Routledge |doi=10.4324/9781351167765-1 |isbn=978-1-351-16776-5|s2cid=240171114 |url-access=subscription }}</ref> which fell to 3,239,281 and 36.8% in 2021.<ref name=":7" />

As of 2021 the majority of London's school pupils come from ethnic minority backgrounds. 23.9% were White British, 14% Other White, 23.2% Asian, 17.9% Black, 11.3% Mixed, 6.3% Other and 2.3% unclassified.<ref>{{cite web |title=Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2022/23 |url=https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics |access-date=14 January 2024 |website=explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk |language=en}}</ref> Altogether at the 2021 census, of London's 1,695,741 population aged 0 to 15, 42% were White in total, splitting it down into 30.9% who were White British, 0.5% Irish, 10.6% Other White, 23% Asian, 16.4% Black, 12% Mixed and 6.6% another ethnic group.<ref>{{Cite web |author=ONS |url=https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/livelinks/12297.xlsx |title=LC2109EWls – Ethnic group by age |publisher=nomisweb.co.uk |access-date=26 March 2015}}</ref>

=== Languages ===
In January 2005, a survey of London's ethnic and religious diversity claimed that more than 300 languages were spoken in London and more than 50 non-indigenous communities had populations of more than 10,000.<ref name="london_090">{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/jan/21/britishidentity1 |title=Every race, colour, nation and religion on earth |work=The Guardian |location=London |access-date=6 May 2008 |first=Leo |last=Benedictus |date=21 January 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110501134732/http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2005/jan/21/britishidentity1 |archive-date=1 May 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> At the 2021 census, 78.4% of Londoners spoke English as their first language.<ref name=":8">{{Cite web |title=Main language - Office for National Statistics |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/datasets/create/filter-outputs/bd973425-a3bd-4610-92b4-e8d77e908654 |access-date=14 January 2024 |website=ons.gov.uk}}</ref> The 5 biggest languages outside English were Romanian, Spanish, Polish, Bengali and Portuguese.<ref name=":8" /> French is said to be the 6th language spoken in London,<ref>{{cite news |title=Top Languages Spoken In London |url=https://www.milestoneloc.com/languages-spoken-in-london/ |access-date=8 September 2025 |work=milestoneloc}}</ref> with the city home for between 300,000 to 400,000 people from France.<ref>{{cite news |title=London, France's sixth biggest city |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-18234930 |access-date=8 September 2025 |publisher=BBC}}</ref>

===Religion===
{{main|Religion in London}}

{{see also|List of churches in London}}
{{Pie chart
| thumb = right
| caption = Religion in London (2021):<ref name=census2021>{{cite web|url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/datasets/TS030/editions/2021/versions/1/filter-outputs/8f748994-2bd6-407c-b7f8-7f9d7fafbe6f| title=Religion |publisher=[[Office for National Statistics]] |access-date=30 November 2022}}</ref>
| label1 = [[Christianity]]
| value1 = 40.66
| color1 = DodgerBlue
| label2 = [[Irreligion|No religion]]
| value2 = 27.05
| color2 = honeydew
| label3 = [[Islam]]
| value3 = 14.99
| color3 = Green
| label4 = [[Hinduism]]
| value4 = 5.15
| color4 = darkorange
| label5 = [[Judaism]]
| value5 = 1.65
| color5 = turquoise
| label6 = [[Sikhism]]
| value6 = 1.64
| color6 = yellow
| label7 = [[Buddhism]]
| value7 = 0.99
| color7 = goldenrod
| label8 = Other religions
| value8 = 0.88
| color8 = deeppink
| label9 = Religion not stated
| value9 = 7.00
| color9 = lightgrey
}}
According to the [[2021 United Kingdom census|2021 Census]], the largest religious groupings were [[British Christianity|Christians]] (40.66%), followed by those of no religion (20.7%), [[Islam in London|Muslims]] (15%), no response (8.5%), [[Hinduism in the United Kingdom|Hindus]] (5.15%), Jews (1.65%), [[Sikhism in the United Kingdom|Sikhs]] (1.64%), [[Buddhism in the United Kingdom|Buddhists]] (1.0%) and other (0.8%).<ref name=census2021/><ref>{{Cite web |url= http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/re-reference-tables.html?edition=tcm%3A77-286262 |title=2011 Census, Key Statistics for Local Authorities in England and Wales |publisher=Office for National Statistics |date=11 December 2012 |access-date=4 May 2013}}</ref>

London has traditionally been [[Christian]], and has a [[List of churches in London|large number of churches]], particularly in the City of London. The well-known [[St Paul's Cathedral]] in the City and [[Southwark Cathedral]] south of the river are [[Anglicanism|Anglican]] administrative centres,<ref name="london_096">{{Cite web |date=7 April 2008 |title=About Saint Paul's |url= http://www.stpauls.co.uk/page.aspx?theLang=001lngdef&pointerid=97320F44yHMK9hndcXZBD5sVH4m52Yc0 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080407082352/http://www.stpauls.co.uk/page.aspx?theLang=001lngdef&pointerid=97320F44yHMK9hndcXZBD5sVH4m52Yc0 |archive-date=7 April 2008 |access-date=25 March 2021 |publisher=Dean and Chapter St Paul's}}</ref> while the [[Archbishop of Canterbury]], principal bishop of the [[Church of England]] and worldwide [[Anglican Communion]], has their main residence at [[Lambeth Palace]] in the [[London Borough of Lambeth]].<ref name="london_097">{{Cite web |title=Lambeth Palace Library |url=http://www.lambethpalacelibrary.org/ |url-status=usurped |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110430174131/http://www.lambethpalacelibrary.org/ |archive-date=30 April 2011 |access-date=27 April 2008 |website=[[Lambeth Palace Library]]}}</ref>

Important national and royal ceremonies are shared between [[St Paul's Cathedral|St Paul's]] and [[Westminster Abbey]].<ref name=london_098>{{Cite web |url= http://www.westminster-abbey.org/ |title=Westminster Abbey |publisher=Dean and Chapter of Westminster |access-date=27 April 2008 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110505083817/http://www.westminster-abbey.org/ |archive-date=5 May 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> The Abbey is not to be confused with nearby [[Westminster Cathedral]], the largest [[Roman Catholic]] cathedral in [[England and Wales]].<ref name=london_099>{{Cite web |url= http://www.westminstercathedral.org.uk/home.html |title=Westminster Cathedral |publisher=Westminster Cathedral |access-date=27 April 2008 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080327041736/http://www.westminstercathedral.org.uk/home.html |archive-date=27 March 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Despite the prevalence of Anglican churches, observance is low within the denomination. Anglican Church attendance continues a long, steady decline, according to Church of England statistics.<ref name=london_100>{{Cite web |url= http://www.cofe.anglican.org/info/statistics/2007provisionalattendance.pdf |title=Church of England Statistics |publisher=Church of England |access-date=6 June 2008 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110516202652/http://www.cofe.anglican.org/info/statistics/2007provisionalattendance.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=16 May 2011 }}</ref>

Notable mosques include the [[East London Mosque]] in Tower Hamlets, which is allowed to give the Islamic call to prayer through loudspeakers, the [[London Central Mosque]] on the edge of [[Regent's Park]]<ref name=london_101>{{Cite web |url= http://www.iccuk.org/index.php?article=1&PHPSESSID=rbt2vceqs1bpn9567k0kiv9hu5 |title=London Central Mosque Trust Ltd |publisher=London Central Mosque Trust Ltd. & The Islamic Cultural Centre |access-date=27 April 2008 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110426193641/http://www.iccuk.org/index.php?article=1&PHPSESSID=rbt2vceqs1bpn9567k0kiv9hu5 |archive-date=26 April 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> and the [[Baitul Futuh]] of the [[Ahmadiyya Muslim Community]]. After the oil boom, increasing numbers of wealthy [[Middle-East]]ern Arab Muslims based themselves around [[Mayfair]], Kensington and [[Knightsbridge]] in West London.<ref>{{Cite web |date=29 January 2010 |title=Sikh-Britons Second Wealthiest: Government Report |url= http://www.sikhchic.com/history/sikhbritons_second_wealthiest_government_report |website=sikhchic.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Johnson |first=Gareth |date=14 March 2013 |title=Comment: British Sikhs Are the Best Example of Cultural Integration |url= http://www.politics.co.uk/comment-analysis/2013/03/14/comment-british-sikhs-are-the-best-example-of-cultural-integ |access-date=25 March 2021 |website=politics.co.uk}}</ref><ref name="london_102">{{Cite web |author=Bill |first=Peter |date=30 May 2008 |title=The $300 Billion Arabs Are Coming |url= https://www.standard.co.uk/news/the-300-billion-arabs-are-coming-6890813.html |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110430181240/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23488244-the-300-billion-arabs-are-coming.do |archive-date=30 April 2011 |access-date=25 March 2021 |work=Evening Standard |location= London}}</ref> There are large [[Bengali Muslim]] communities in the eastern boroughs of [[London Borough of Tower Hamlets|Tower Hamlets]] and [[London Borough of Newham|Newham]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=13 February 2003 |title=Census 2001 Key Statistics, Local Authorities in England and Wales |publisher= Office for National Statistics |url= http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/re-reference-tables.html?edition=tcm:77-211026 |url-status=live |access-date=25 March 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150825013919/http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/re-reference-tables.html?edition=tcm:77-211026 |archive-date=25 August 2015}}</ref>

Large Hindu communities are found in the north-western boroughs of [[London Borough of Harrow|Harrow]] and [[London Borough of Brent|Brent]], the latter hosting what was until 2006<ref>{{cite news |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/west_midlands/5276644.stm |title=Opening for biggest Hindu temple |work=BBC News |date=23 August 2006 |access-date=28 August 2006}}</ref> Europe's largest [[Hindu temple]], [[Neasden Temple]].<ref name=london_103>{{Cite web |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2005/05/19/hindu_london_feature.shtml |title=Hindu London |date=6 June 2005 |work=BBC London |access-date=3 June 2006 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060218161357/http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2005/05/19/hindu_london_feature.shtml |archive-date=18 February 2006 |url-status=live}}</ref> London is home to 44 Hindu temples, including the [[BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir London]]. There are Sikh communities in East and West London, particularly in Southall, home to one of the largest Sikh populations and the largest Sikh temple outside India.<ref name=london_104>{{Cite news |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2898761.stm |title=£17&nbsp;m Sikh temple opens |date=30 March 2003 |work=BBC News |access-date=7 June 2008 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071003094649/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2898761.stm |archive-date=3 October 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref>

The majority of [[British Jews]] live in London, with notable Jewish communities in [[Stamford Hill]], [[Stanmore]], [[Golders Green]], [[Finchley]], [[Hampstead]], [[Hendon]] and [[Edgware]], all in [[North London]]. Opened in 1701, [[Bevis Marks Synagogue]] in the [[City of London]] is affiliated to London's historic [[Sephardic]] Jewish community. It is the oldest continually active synagogue in Europe having held regular services for over 300 years.<ref>{{cite news |title=London rejects 48-story skyscraper threatening UK's oldest synagogue |url=https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/london-rejects-48-story-skyscraper-threatening-uks-oldest-synagogue-684740 |access-date=22 June 2025 |newspaper=The Jerusalem Post}}</ref> [[Stanmore and Canons Park Synagogue]] has the largest membership of any Orthodox synagogue in Europe.<ref name=london_106>{{Cite web |url= http://www.jewishagency.org/JewishAgency/English/Israel/Partnerships/Regions/Kavimut/Britain+Communities/Stanmore+11.htm |publisher=The Jewish Agency for Israel |title=Stanmore |access-date=12 October 2008 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110426075317/http://www.jewishagency.org/JewishAgency/English/Israel/Partnerships/Regions/Kavimut/Britain+Communities/Stanmore+11.htm |archive-date=26 April 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The [[London Jewish Forum]] was set up in 2006 in response to the growing significance of devolved London Government.<ref name=london_107>{{Cite news |last=Paul |first=Jonny |date=10 December 2006 |url= https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/jpost/access/1178443551.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Dec+10%2C+2006&author=JONNY+PAUL%2C+Jerusalem+Post+correspondent&pub=Jerusalem+Post&edition=&startpage=05&desc=Livingstone+apologizes+to+UK+Jews |title=Livingstone apologizes to UK's Jews |work=The Jerusalem Post |access-date=5 February 2011 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110427064159/http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1164881856232&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull |archive-date=27 April 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Accents===
[[File:St Mary-le-Bow - geograph.org.uk - 3756403.jpg|thumb|upright|Traditionally, anyone born within earshot of the bells of [[St Mary-le-Bow]] church was considered to be a true [[Cockney]].<ref>{{cite news |title=London noise 'mutes Bow Bells to endanger Cockneys' |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-18570802 |access-date=7 August 2023 |publisher=BBC News}}</ref>]]
[[Cockney]] is an accent heard across London, mainly spoken by [[Working class|working-class]] and [[Lower middle class|lower-middle-class]] Londoners. It is mainly attributed to the East End and wider East London, having originated there in the 18th century, although it has been suggested that the Cockney style of speech is much older.<ref>{{Cite web |date=17 August 2012 |title=Cockney |url= https://public.oed.com/blog/cockney/ |access-date=16 April 2021 |website=Oxford English Dictionary }}</ref> Some features of Cockney include [[Th-fronting|''Th''-fronting]] (pronouncing "th" as "f"), "th" inside a word is pronounced with a "v", [[H-dropping|''H''-dropping]], and, like most English accents, a Cockney accent [[Rhoticity in English|drops the "r"]] after a vowel.<ref>{{cite book |last1=McArthur |first1=Thomas |title=Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language |date=2005 |publisher=Oxford University Press}}</ref> [[John Camden Hotten]], in his ''[[A Dictionary of Modern Slang, Cant, and Vulgar Words]]'' of 1859, makes reference to Cockney "use of a peculiar slang language" ([[Rhyming slang|Cockney rhyming slang]]) when describing the [[costermonger]]s of the East End. Since the start of the 21st century the extreme form of the Cockney dialect is less common in parts of the East End itself, with modern strongholds including other parts of London and suburbs in the [[home counties]].<ref>{{cite news |title='Extreme' form of Cockney dialect in decline, says report |url= https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/jun/10/extreme-form-of-cockney-dialect-in-decline-says-report-1953 |access-date=28 June 2023 |work=The Guardian |location= London |date=10 June 2021}}</ref> This is particularly pronounced in areas like Romford (in the London Borough of Havering) and [[Southend-on-Sea|Southend]] (in Essex), which have received significant inflows of older East End residents in recent decades.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mount |first=Harry |date=10 April 2012 |title=Word on the street in London |url= https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/word-on-the-street-in-london-6487089.html |access-date=8 February 2024 |work=London Evening Standard }}</ref>

[[Estuary English]] is an intermediate accent between Cockney and [[Received Pronunciation]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Estuary English Q and A – JCW |url= http://www.phon.ucl.ac.uk/home/estuary/ee-faqs-jcw.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100111062912/http://www.phon.ucl.ac.uk/home/estuary/ee-faqs-jcw.htm |archive-date=11 January 2010 |access-date=16 August 2010 |publisher=University College London}}</ref> It is widely spoken by people of all classes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Estuary English |url= https://www.phon.ucl.ac.uk/home/estuary/ |access-date=16 April 2021 |publisher=University College London}}</ref>

[[Multicultural London English]] (MLE) is a [[multiethnolect]] becoming increasingly common in multicultural areas amongst young, working-class people from diverse backgrounds. It is a fusion of an array of ethnic accents, in particular Afro-Caribbean and South Asian, with a significant Cockney influence.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What is MLE? – Language and Linguistic Science |url= https://www.york.ac.uk/language/research/projects/mle/what-is-mle/ |access-date=16 April 2021 |publisher=University of York}}</ref>

[[Received Pronunciation]] (RP) is the accent traditionally regarded as the standard for [[British English]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Wells |first1=John |title= Longman Pronunciation Dictionary |date=2008 |publisher=Longman |isbn=978-1-4058-8118-0 |edition=3rd |page=xix, para 2.1}}</ref> It has no specific geographical correlate,<ref>{{Cite web |title=English language - Varieties of English |url= https://www.britannica.com/topic/English-language |access-date=16 April 2021 |website=Encyclopædia Britannica }}</ref> although it is also traditionally defined as the standard speech used in London and south-eastern England.<ref>{{Cite web |title=English language – Characteristics of Modern English |url= https://www.britannica.com/topic/English-language |access-date=16 April 2021 |website=Encyclopædia Britannica}}</ref> It is mainly spoken by [[Upper class|upper-class]] and [[Upper middle class|upper-middle class]] Londoners.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Received Pronunciation |url= https://www.bl.uk/british-accents-and-dialects/themes/received-pronunciation |access-date=16 April 2021 |website=The British Library |archive-date=28 July 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210728213418/https://www.bl.uk/british-accents-and-dialects/themes/received-pronunciation |url-status=dead }}</ref> Standard Southern British English (SSBE) has been considered as an evolution of RP that is now common and widely spoken in London and the south-east of England by a wide variety of people, but is distinct from Estuary English and MLE.<ref>{{Cite news |date=31 October 2023 |title=Language barrier: why even Harry has stopped speaking the king's English |url= https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/oct/31/language-barrier-why-even-harry-has-stopped-speaking-the-kings-english |access-date=25 January 2025 |work=The Guardian |location= London}}</ref>

==Economy==
{{main|Economy of London}}

[[File:City_of_London_skyscrapers_HDR_-_2023-03-18.jpg|thumb|The [[City of London]], one of the largest [[financial centre]]s in the world]]
London's [[gross regional product]] in 2019 was £503&nbsp;billion, around a quarter of [[Economy of the United Kingdom|UK GDP]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/grossdomesticproductgdp/bulletins/regionaleconomicactivitybygrossdomesticproductuk/1998to2019/pdf |title=Regional economic activity by gross domestic product, UK: 1998 to 2019, UK- Office for National Statistics |first=Trevor |last=Fenton |website=ons.gov.uk}}</ref> London has five major business districts: the City, Westminster, Canary Wharf, Camden & Islington, and Lambeth & Southwark. One way to get an idea of their relative importance is to look at relative amounts of office space: Greater London had 27&nbsp;million&nbsp;m<sup>2</sup> of office space in 2001, and the City contains the most space, with 8&nbsp;million&nbsp;m<sup>2</sup> of office space. London has some of the highest real estate prices in the world.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Greg |first1=Clark |title=The Making of a World City London 1991 to 2021 |date=2014 |publisher=Wiley |page=141}}</ref>

===City of London===
London's finance industry is based in the [[City of London]] and [[Canary Wharf]], the two major [[Central business district|business districts]]. London took over as a major financial centre shortly after 1795 when the [[Dutch Republic]] collapsed before the Napoleonic armies. This caused many bankers established in [[Amsterdam]] (e.g. Hope, Baring I'm), to move to London. Also, London's market-centred system (as opposed to the bank-centred one in Amsterdam) grew more dominant in the 18th century.<ref name='Finance Hub'/> The London financial elite was strengthened by a strong Jewish community from all over Europe capable of mastering the most sophisticated financial tools of the time.<ref name="auto2"/> This economic strength of the city was attributed to its diversity.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bartleby.com/34/2/6.html|title=Letter VI – On the Presbyterians. Letters on the English.|last=Voltaire|first=François Marie Arouet de.|date=1909–1914|website=Bartleby.com|publisher=The Harvard Classics|orig-year=1734|access-date=22 July 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=The Origin of Religious Tolerance: Voltaire |url=https://www.independent.org/news/article.asp?id=2095 |access-date=28 June 2023 |work=Independent Institute}}</ref>

[[File:Paternoster Square.jpg|thumb|The [[London Stock Exchange]] at [[Paternoster Square]] and [[Temple Bar, London|Temple Bar]]]]
[[File:London.bankofengland.arp.jpg|thumb|The [[Bank of England]], established in 1694, is the model on which most modern central banks are based.<ref>{{cite news |title=Bank of England |url=https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/economics/what-is-bank-of-england-boe/ |access-date=2 May 2024 |agency=Corporate Finance Institute}}</ref>]]
By the mid-19th century London was the leading global financial centre, and at the end of the century over half the world's trade was financed in British currency.<ref>{{cite news |title=London - Finance |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/London/Finance |access-date=4 July 2022 |work=Encyclopaedia Britannica}}</ref> {{As of|2023|lc=n}}, London ranks second in the world rankings on the [[Global Financial Centres Index]] (GFCI),<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wee |first1=Denise |title=Singapore Overtakes Hong Kong in World Financial Centers Ranking|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-09-23/singapore-overtakes-hong-kong-in-world-financial-centers-ranking|access-date=26 July 2024|work=www.bloomberg.com}}</ref> and it ranked second in A.T. Kearney's 2018 Global Cities Index.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Hales |first1=Mike |last2=Mendoza Peña |first2=Andrés |last3=Peterson |first3=Erik R.|last4=Dessibourg |first4=Nicole |title=2018 Global Cities Report – Learning from the East: Insights from China's Urban Success|url=https://atkearney.com/2018-global-cities-report |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180620232225/https://www.atkearney.com/2018-global-cities-report |archive-date=20 June 2018 |access-date=20 June 2018 |website=[[A.T. Kearney]]}}</ref>

London's largest industry is finance, and its [[financial export]]s make it a large contributor to the UK's [[balance of payments]]. Notwithstanding a post-[[Brexit]] exodus of stock listings from the [[London Stock Exchange]],<ref name="LSEExodusToNewYork">{{cite news |author=Daniel O'Boyle |date=6 June 2024 |title=Shein has ethical concerns? So do many London-listed companies — let's look at them too |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/business/shein-ethics-labour-london-stock-exchange-ipo-flotation-float-fast-fashion-clothes-environment-b1162619.html |access-date=17 August 2024 |newspaper=London Evening Standard |quote=The post-Brexit London Stock Exchange has struggled to properly articulate what it offers over [[New York City|New York]].}}</ref><ref name=LSEExodus>{{cite news |url= https://fortune.com/2023/10/31/uk-stock-market-doom-loop-london-financial-capital/ |title=UK's stock market is in a 'doom loop' that's undermining London's status as a global financial capital, investment bank says |author=Alexandra Muller and [[Bloomberg News]] |work=Fortune |location=New York |date=31 October 2023|access-date=20 February 2024}}</ref> London is one of Europe's most economically powerful cities,<ref name="London.gov.uk"/> and it remains one of the major financial centres of the world. It is the world's biggest currency trading centre, accounting for some 37% of the $5.1&nbsp;trillion average daily volume, according to the BIS.<ref>{{Cite news |date=18 September 2016 |title=London's core role in euros under spotlight after Brexit vote |work=[[Reuters]] |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-global-markets-bis-britain-idUKKCN11O0C4 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160918105609/http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-global-markets-bis-britain-idUKKCN11O0C4 |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 September 2016 |access-date=28 March 2021}}</ref> Over 85% (3.2&nbsp;million) of the employed population of greater London works in the services industries. Because of its prominent global role, London's economy had been affected by the [[2008 financial crisis]]. However, by 2010, the city had recovered, put in place new regulatory powers, proceeded to regain lost ground and re-established London's economic dominance.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Gardiner |first=Beth |date=20 January 2010 |title=The London Banking Center Is Beginning to Feel Like Itself Again. |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/21/business/global/21rglofinuk.html |url-status=live |access-date=28 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100125173353/https://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/21/business/global/21rglofinuk.html |archive-date=25 January 2010}}</ref> Along with [[professional services]] headquarters, the City of London is home to the [[Bank of England]], London Stock Exchange, and [[Lloyd's of London]] insurance market.<ref>{{cite book|last=Mantle|first=Jonathan|title=For Whom the Bell Tolls|url=https://archive.org/details/forwhombelltolls0000mant|url-access=registration|year=1992|publisher=Sinclair-Stevenson |location=London |isbn=9781856191524 }}</ref> Founded in 1690, [[Barclays]], whose [[Barclays Bank, Enfield|branch in Enfield]], north London installed the first [[ATM|cash machine]] (ATM) in 1967, is one of the [[List of oldest banks in continuous operation|oldest banks in continuous operation]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=McManus |first1=John |last2=Winroth |first2=Mats |last3=Angelis |first3=Jannis |title=Service Operations Management |date=2019 |publisher=Bloomsbury |page=39}}</ref>

Over half the UK's top 100 listed companies (the [[FTSE 100]]) and over 100 of Europe's 500 largest companies have their headquarters in central London. Over 70% of the FTSE 100 are within London's metropolitan area, and 75% of [[Fortune 500]] companies have offices in London.<ref name="london_113">{{Cite web|date=9 June 2009|title=London Stock Exchange|url=http://www.londonstockexchange.com/en-gb/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090609022757/http://www.londonstockexchange.com/en-gb/|archive-date=9 June 2009|access-date=27 April 2008|website=[[London Stock Exchange]]}}</ref> In a 1992 report commissioned by the London Stock Exchange, Sir [[Adrian Cadbury]], chairman of his family's confectionery company [[Cadbury]], produced the [[Cadbury Report]], a code of best practice which served as a basis for reform of [[corporate governance]] around the world.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gittelson |first1=Steven |title=Adrian Cadbury, a leader in corporate governance, dies at 86 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/adrian-cadbury-a-leader-in-corporate-governance-dies-at-86/2015/09/04/e87dd2fe-532e-11e5-8c19-0b6825aa4a3a_story.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=23 July 2022 |date=4 September 2015}}</ref>

===Media and technology===
{{main|Media in London}}

[[File:Broadcasting House 20160816.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Broadcasting House]], headquarters of the [[BBC]]]]
Media companies are concentrated in London, and the media distribution industry is London's second most competitive sector.<ref name="london_114">{{Cite web |url= http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/2CAE66FB-2DD5-41A5-B916-8FFC37276059/0/BC_RS_lpuk_0511_FR.pdf |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060525075622/http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/2CAE66FB-2DD5-41A5-B916-8FFC37276059/0/BC_RS_lpuk_0511_FR.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=25 May 2006 |title=London's Place in the UK Economy, 2005–6 |date=November 2005 |website=Oxford Economic Forecasting on behalf of the Corporation of London |page=19 |access-date=19 June 2006}}</ref> The [[BBC]], the world's oldest national broadcaster, is a significant employer, while other broadcasters, including [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]], [[Channel 4]], [[Channel 5 (UK)|Channel 5]] and [[Sky UK|Sky]], also have headquarters around the city. Many [[List of newspapers in the United Kingdom|national newspapers]], including ''[[The Times]]'', founded in 1785, are edited in London; the term [[Fleet Street]] (where most national newspapers operated) remains a [[metonym]] for the British national press.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Solesbury |first1=William |title=World Cities, City Worlds |date=2018 |publisher=Cambridge Scholars Publishing |page=5}}</ref> The communications company [[WPP plc]] is the world's largest advertising agency.<ref>{{cite news |title=The world's biggest ad agency is going all in on AI with Nvidia's help |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2023/05/29/tech/nvidia-wpp-ai-advertising/index.html |access-date=21 March 2024 |publisher=CNN}}</ref>

A large number of technology companies are based in London, notably in [[East London Tech City]], also known as Silicon Roundabout. In 2014 the city was among the first to receive a [[geoTLD]].<ref>{{Cite press release |date=10 June 2013 |title=London gets go ahead for new '.london' internet domain |url= http://www.londonandpartners.com/media-centre/press-releases/2013/130610-london-gets-go-ahead-for-new-london-internet-domain |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130614213446/http://www.londonandpartners.com/media-centre/press-releases/2013/130610-london-gets-go-ahead-for-new-london-internet-domain |archive-date=14 June 2013 |access-date=28 March 2021 |publisher= [[London & Partners]]}}</ref> In February 2014 London was ranked as the European City of the Future in the 2014/15 list by ''[[fDi Intelligence]]''.<ref>{{Cite news |last=McReynolds |first=Cathy |date=17 February 2014 |title=European Cities and Regions of the Future 2014/15 |work=fDiIntelligence.com |location=London |url=http://www.fdiintelligence.com/Locations/Europe/European-Cities-and-Regions-of-the-Future-2014-15 |access-date=28 March 2021 |archive-date=12 November 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141112110111/http://www.fdiintelligence.com/Locations/Europe/European-Cities-and-Regions-of-the-Future-2014-15 |url-status=dead }}</ref> A [[museum in Bletchley Park]], where [[Alan Turing]] was based during the Second World War, is in [[Bletchley]], {{convert|40|mi|adj=off}} north of central London, as is [[The National Museum of Computing]].<ref>{{cite news |title=UK computer history gets new home |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6291422.stm|date=11 July 2007|access-date=4 July 2022 |work=BBC}}</ref>

The gas and electricity distribution networks that manage and operate the towers, cables and pressure systems that deliver energy to consumers across the city are managed by [[National Grid plc]], [[SGN (company)|SGN]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gas distributors |url= https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/gas/distribution-networks/gb-gas-distribution-network |publisher=Ofgem |access-date=19 January 2016 |date=20 June 2013 }}</ref> and [[UK Power Networks]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Electricity distributor |url= http://www2.nationalgrid.com/uk/Our-company/electricity/Distribution-Network-Operator-Companies/ |publisher=National Grid |access-date=19 January 2015 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140914184550/http://www2.nationalgrid.com/uk/Our-company/electricity/Distribution-Network-Operator-Companies/ |archive-date=14 September 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Tourism===
{{main|Tourism in London}}

{{Multiple image
| direction         = vertical
| image1            = British Museum from NE 2 (cropped).JPG
| caption1          = The [[British Museum]]
| image2            = Galería Nacional, Londres, Inglaterra, 2014-08-07, DD 036.JPG|
| caption2          = The [[National Gallery]]
}}

London is one of the leading tourist destinations in the world. It is also the top city in the world by visitor cross-border spending, estimated at US$20.23&nbsp;billion in 2015.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Hedrick-Wong |first1=Yuwa |last2=Choong |first2=Desmond |year=2015 |title=MasterCard – 2015 Global Destination Cities Index |url=https://newsroom.mastercard.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/MasterCard-GDCI-2015-Final-Report1.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303195105/https://newsroom.mastercard.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/MasterCard-GDCI-2015-Final-Report1.pdf |archive-date=3 March 2016 |access-date=25 March 2021}}</ref> Tourism is one of London's prime industries, employing 700,000 full-time workers in 2016, and contributes £36&nbsp;billion a year to the economy.<ref>{{Cite web |year=2017 |title=A Tourism Vision for London |url=https://files.londonandpartners.com/l-and-p/assets/london_tourism_vision_aug_2017.pdf |access-date=27 March 2021 |website=[[London and Partners]] |pages=6–7}}</ref> The city accounts for 54% of all inbound visitor spending in the UK.<ref>{{Cite web |date=22 April 2015 |title=VisitBritain |url=https://www.visitbritain.org/visitor-economy-facts |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150806112308/https://www.visitbritain.org/visitor-economy-facts |archive-date=6 August 2015 |access-date=25 March 2021}}</ref>

In 2024, nine of the ten most-visited attractions in the UK were in London (shown with visits per venue):<ref>{{Cite web |date=21 March 2025 |title=British Museum most visited UK attraction in 2024 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c39v2ddn4p4o |access-date=3 November 2025 |website=BBC News}}</ref>
#[[British Museum]]: 6,479,952
#[[Natural History Museum, London|Natural History Museum]] (South Kensington): 6,301,972
#[[Windsor Great Park]]: 5,670,430
#[[Tate Modern]]: 4,603,025
#[[Southbank Centre]]: 3,734,075
#[[Victoria and Albert Museum]] (South Kensington): 3,525,700
#[[National Gallery]]: 3,203,451
#[[Somerset House]]: 3,074,736
#[[Tower of London]]: 2,902,385
#[[Science Museum, London|Science Museum]]: 2,827,242

The number of hotel rooms in London in 2023 stood at 155,700 and is expected to grow to 183,600 rooms, the most of any city outside China.<ref>{{cite news |title=London Poised to Take Hotel Crown From Las Vegas |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-04-26/what-city-has-the-most-hotel-rooms-london-to-pass-las-vegas-tokyo?embedded-checkout=true |access-date=7 April 2024 |work=Bloomberg}}</ref> Luxury hotels in London include [[Savoy Hotel|the Savoy]] (opened in 1889), [[Claridge's]] (opened in 1812 and rebuilt in 1898), [[The Ritz Hotel, London|the Ritz]] (opened in 1906) and [[the Dorchester]] (opened in 1931), while budget hotel chains include [[Premier Inn]] and [[Travelodge]].<ref>{{cite news |title=London's Most Historic Hotels |url=https://londonist.com/london/history/historic-hotels |access-date=7 April 2024 |work=Londonist}}</ref>

==Transport==
{{main|Transport in London|Infrastructure in London}}

Transport is one of the four main areas of policy administered by the [[Mayor of London]],<ref name=london_121>{{Cite web |url=http://www.tfl.gov.uk/ |title=Transport for London |publisher=Transport for London |access-date=27 April 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100104235448/http://www.tfl.gov.uk/ |archive-date=4 January 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref> but the mayor's financial control does not extend to the longer-distance rail network that enters London. In 2007, the Mayor of London assumed responsibility for some local lines, which now form the [[London Overground]] network, adding to the existing responsibility for the [[London Underground]], [[Tramlink|trams]] and [[London Buses|buses]]. The public transport network is administered by [[Transport for London]] (TfL).<ref name="london_goverance"/>

The lines that formed the London Underground, as well as trams and buses, became part of an integrated transport system in 1933 when the [[London Passenger Transport Board]] or ''[[London Transport (brand)|London Transport]]'' was created. Transport for London is now the statutory corporation responsible for most aspects of the transport system in [[Greater London]], and is run by a board and a commissioner appointed by the Mayor of London.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.london.gov.uk/help/faq.jsp#transport |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071019055413/http://www.london.gov.uk/help/faq.jsp |archive-date=19 October 2007 |title=How do I find out about transport in London? |publisher=Greater London Authority |access-date=5 June 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Aviation===
{{main|Airports of London}}

[[File:Heathrow Terminal 5C Iwelumo-1.jpg|thumb|[[Heathrow Airport]] is the busiest airport in Europe as well as the second busiest in the world for international passenger traffic ([[Heathrow Terminal 5|Terminal 5]]C is pictured).]]
London is a major international air transport hub with the [[World's busiest city airport systems by passenger traffic|busiest city airspace]] in the world.<ref name="Busiest skies"/> Eight airports use the word ''London'' in their name, but most traffic passes through six of these. Additionally, [[Airports of London|various other airports]] also serve London, catering primarily to [[general aviation]] flights.
*[[Heathrow Airport]], in [[London Borough of Hillingdon|Hillingdon]], West London, was for many years the [[World's busiest airport|busiest airport]] in the world for international traffic, and is the major hub of the nation's flag carrier, [[British Airways]].<ref name="london_135">{{Cite web|year=2020|title=Heathrow Airport Travel Report 2019|url=https://www.heathrow.com/content/dam/heathrow/web/common/documents/company/heathrow-2-0-sustainability/futher-reading/Heathrow-Airport-Travel-Report-2019.pdf|access-date=25 March 2021|website=[[Heathrow Airport]]|publisher=LHR Airports Limited|page=38}}</ref> In March 2008 its fifth terminal was opened.<ref name=london_137>{{cite web |url=http://www.heathrow-airport-uk.info/heathrow-airport-terminal-5.htm |title=Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 |publisher=TMC Ltd |access-date=27 April 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430195211/http://www.heathrow-airport-uk.info/heathrow-airport-terminal-5.htm |archive-date=30 April 2011 |url-status=usurped }}</ref>
*[[Gatwick Airport]], south of London in [[West Sussex]], handles flights to more destinations than any other UK airport and is the main base of [[easyJet]], the UK's largest airline by number of passengers.<ref>{{cite web|title=Airline Data Annual Reports 2017|url=https://www.caa.co.uk/Data-and-analysis/UK-aviation-market/Airlines/Datasets/UK-Airline-data/2017/Airline-data-annual-reports-2017/|access-date=25 March 2021|website=[[Civil Aviation Authority]]}}</ref>
*[[London Stansted Airport]], north-east of London in [[Essex]], has flights that serve the greatest number of European destinations of any UK airport and is the main base of [[Ryanair]], the world's largest international airline by number of international passengers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.stanstedairport.com/about-us/london-stansted-airport-and-mag/facts-and-figures/ |title=Facts and Figures – Stansted Airport |website=stanstedairport.com}}</ref>
*[[Luton Airport]], to the north of London in [[Bedfordshire]], is used by several budget airlines (especially easyJet and [[Wizz Air]]) for short-haul flights.<ref>{{cite book |url=http://www.london-luton.co.uk/en/ |title=London Luton Airport |year=1969 |publisher=London Luton Airport |access-date=27 April 2008 |isbn=978-0-11-510256-1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110501023741/http://www.london-luton.co.uk/en |archive-date=1 May 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
*[[London City Airport]], the most central airport and the one with the shortest runway, in [[London Borough of Newham|Newham]], East London, is focused on business travellers, with a mixture of full-service short-haul scheduled flights and considerable [[business jet]] traffic.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.londoncityairport.com/Default.aspx |title=London City Airport&nbsp;— Corporate Information |publisher=London City Airport Ltd. |access-date=6 June 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110423115236/http://www.londoncityairport.com/Default.aspx |archive-date=23 April 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
*[[London Southend Airport]], east of London in Essex, is a smaller, regional airport that caters for short-haul flights on a limited, though growing, number of airlines.<ref>{{cite web |title=Londoners love our airport |date=18 May 2018 |first=Adam |last=Cornell |url-status=live |url=http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/16234556.Londoners_love_our_airport/?ref=rss |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190612091241/http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/16234556.Londoners_love_our_airport/?ref=rss |archive-date=12 June 2019 |access-date=8 August 2019}}</ref> In 2017, international passengers made up over 95% of the total at Southend, the highest proportion of any London airport.<ref>{{Cite web |year=2017 |title=Airport data 2017 – UK Civil Aviation Authority |url=http://www.caa.co.uk/Data-and-analysis/UK-aviation-market/Airports/Datasets/UK-Airport-data/Airport-data-2017/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210226130311/https://www.caa.co.uk/Data-and-analysis/UK-aviation-market/Airports/Datasets/UK-Airport-data/Airport-data-2017/ |archive-date=26 February 2021 |access-date=25 March 2021 |website=[[Civil Aviation Authority]]}}</ref>

===Rail===
====Underground and DLR====
{{multiple image
| align             = right
| direction         = vertical
| header            = 
| width             = 216
| image1            = Baker Street tube station MMB 19 S Stock.jpg
| width1            = 
| alt1              = 
| caption1          = The [[London Underground]], opened in January 1863, is the world's oldest and third-longest [[rapid transit]] system.
| image2            = Monument Underground Station - geograph.org.uk - 5468795.jpg
| alt2              = 
| caption2          = The [[London Underground#Roundel|roundel symbol]] designed by [[Edward Johnston]] and trademarked in 1917
}}

Opened in 1863, the [[London Underground]], commonly referred to as the Tube or just the Underground, is the oldest and third-longest [[rapid transit|metro]] system in the world.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-20641351 |title=Oyster card celebrates 150th Tube anniversary |work=BBC News |date=10 December 2012 |access-date=10 January 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.citymetric.com/transport/what-largest-metro-system-world-1361 |title=What is the largest metro system in the world? |date=5 September 2015 |work=City Metric |access-date=12 June 2018 |location=London |archive-date=12 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190612085224/https://www.citymetric.com/transport/what-largest-metro-system-world-1361 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The system serves [[List of London Underground stations|272 stations]], and was formed from several private companies, including the world's first underground electric line, the [[City and South London Railway]], which opened in 1890.<ref>{{cite news |title=A brief history of the Underground |url=https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/about-tfl/culture-and-heritage/londons-transport-a-history/london-underground/a-brief-history-of-the-underground |access-date=23 January 2023 |publisher=Transport for London}}</ref>

Over 4&nbsp;million journeys are made every day on the Underground network, over 1&nbsp;billion each year.<ref name=london_124>{{Cite press release |url=http://www.tfl.gov.uk/static/corporate/media/newscentre/archive/7103.html |title=Tube breaks record for passenger numbers |publisher=Transport for London |date=27 December 2007 |access-date=5 February 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110427025251/http://www.tfl.gov.uk/static/corporate/media/newscentre/archive/7103.html |archive-date=27 April 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> An investment programme is attempting to reduce congestion and improve reliability, including £6.5&nbsp;billion (€7.7&nbsp;billion) spent before the [[2012 Summer Olympics]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The London 2012 legacy |url=http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/projectsandschemes/25869.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018211357/http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/projectsandschemes/25869.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 October 2012 |publisher=Transport for London |access-date=11 August 2013}}</ref> The [[Docklands Light Railway|Docklands Light Railway (DLR)]], which opened in 1987, is a second, more [[medium-capacity rail transport system|local metro system]] using smaller and lighter tram-type vehicles that serve the [[London Docklands|Docklands]], [[Greenwich]] and [[Lewisham]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/about-tfl/culture-and-heritage/londons-transport-a-history/dlr |title= London's transport - a history: Docklands Light Railway (DLR) |publisher=Transport for London |access-date=17 November 2023 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140615201803/http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/about-tfl/culture-and-heritage/londons-transport-a-history/dlr |archive-date=15 June 2014 }}</ref>

====Suburban====
There are [[List of London railway stations|368 railway stations]] in the [[London fare zones]] on an extensive above-ground suburban railway network. South London, particularly, has a high concentration of railways as it has fewer Underground lines. Most rail lines terminate around the centre of London, running into [[London station group|eighteen terminal stations]], with the exception of the [[Thameslink (route)|Thameslink]] trains connecting [[Bedford]] in the north and [[Brighton]] in the south via [[London Luton Airport|Luton]] and [[Gatwick Airport|Gatwick]] airports.<ref name="london_127">{{Cite web |url=http://www.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk/Main.php?sEvent=HomePage |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100130091433/http://www.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk/Main.php?sEvent=HomePage |archive-date=30 January 2010 |title=First Capital Connect |publisher=First Capital Connect |access-date=27 April 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> London has Britain's busiest station&nbsp;by number of passengers, [[London Waterloo station|Waterloo]], with over 184&nbsp;million people using the interchange station complex (which includes [[London Waterloo East railway station|Waterloo East]] station) each year.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/nav.1529 |title=Rail Station Usage |publisher=Office of Rail Regulation |access-date=24 October 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070705115621/http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/nav.1529 |archive-date=5 July 2007 |url-status=live }}</ref> {{rws|Clapham Junction}} is one of Europe's busiest rail interchanges.<ref>{{cite news |title=Council looks at extension of London Underground's Northern line to Clapham Junction |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/london-underground-northern-line-clapham-junction-wandsworth-borough-council-b1056869.html |access-date=15 April 2023 |work=Evening Standard}}</ref>

With the need for more rail capacity, the [[Elizabeth line|Elizabeth Line]] (also known as Crossrail) opened in May 2022.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/crossrail-elizabeth-line-opening-date-announced-may-24-london-tube-tfl-transport-for-london-b997837.html |title=Crossrail opening date finally announced  |date=4 May 2022 |access-date=4 May 2022}}</ref> It is a new railway line running east to west through London and into the [[Home Counties]] with a branch to Heathrow Airport.<ref>{{Cite web |year=2021 |title=Regional Map |url=http://www.crossrail.co.uk/route/maps/regional-map |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101024104105/http://www.crossrail.co.uk/route/maps/regional-map |url-status=dead |archive-date=24 October 2010 |access-date=27 March 2021 |website=[[Crossrail]] }}</ref> It was Europe's biggest construction project, with a £15&nbsp;billion projected cost.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lister |first=Richard |date=2 January 2012 |title=Crossrail's giant tunnelling machines unveiled |work=[[BBC News]]|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-16289051 |access-date=27 March 2021}}</ref>

====Inter-city and international====
[[File:St Pancras Railway Station 2012-06-23.jpg|thumb|[[St Pancras railway station|St Pancras International]] is the main terminal for high-speed [[Eurostar]] and [[High Speed 1]] services, as well as commuter suburban Thameslink and inter-city [[East Midlands Railway]] services.]]

London is the centre of the [[National Rail]] network, with 70% of rail journeys starting or ending in London.<ref>{{Cite web |year=2014 |title=Rail |url=http://londonfirst.co.uk/our-focus/londons-transport-infrastructure/rail/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407083946/http://londonfirst.co.uk/our-focus/londons-transport-infrastructure/rail/ |archive-date=7 April 2014 |access-date=5 April 2014 |website=London First}}</ref> [[London King's Cross railway station|King's Cross station]] and [[Euston railway station|Euston station]], both in London, are the starting points of the [[East Coast Main Line]] and the [[West Coast Main Line]] – the two main railway lines in Britain. Like suburban rail services, regional and inter-city trains depart from several termini around the city centre, directly linking London with most of Great Britain's major cities and towns.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Smithers |first=Andrew |date=8 December 2020 |title=Great Britain National Rail Train Operators |url=https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/TOCs%20AS%20v46%20Dec%202020.pdf |access-date=27 March 2021 |website=[[National Rail]] |archive-date=23 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210423051734/https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/TOCs%20AS%20v46%20Dec%202020.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> ''[[Flying Scotsman (train)|The Flying Scotsman]]'' is an express passenger train service that has operated between London and Edinburgh since 1862; the world famous steam locomotive named after this service, [[LNER Class A3 4472 Flying Scotsman|''Flying Scotsman'']], was the first locomotive to reach the officially authenticated speed of {{convert|100|mph|km/h|0}} in 1934.<ref>{{cite news |title=The Flying Scotsman: How the first 100mph locomotive became the most famous train in the world |url=https://www.countrylife.co.uk/out-and-about/the-flying-scotsman-how-the-first-100mph-locomotive-became-the-most-famous-train-in-the-world-252287|access-date=22 April 2023 |magazine=[[Country Life (magazine)|Country Life]]}}</ref>

Some international railway services to [[Continental Europe]] were operated during the 20th century as [[boat train]]s. The opening of the [[Channel Tunnel]] in 1994 connected London directly to the continental rail network, allowing [[Eurostar]] services to begin. Since 2007, high-speed trains link [[St Pancras railway station|St. Pancras International]] with [[Lille]], [[Calais]], [[Paris]], [[Disneyland Paris]], [[Brussels]], [[Amsterdam]] and other European tourist destinations via the [[High Speed 1]] rail link and the Channel Tunnel.<ref>{{Cite web |date=14 November 2007 |title=Eurostar arrives in Paris on time |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/7093761.stm |access-date=27 March 2021 |website=BBC News}}</ref> The first [[Southeastern (train operating company)|high-speed domestic]] trains started in June 2009, linking [[Kent]] to London.<ref name="Southeastern Highspeed">{{Cite web |url=http://www.southeasternrailway.co.uk/highspeed/ |title=Highspeed |publisher=Southeastern |access-date=5 February 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110501110057/http://www.southeasternrailway.co.uk/highspeed/ |archive-date=1 May 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> There are plans for a [[High Speed 2|second high speed line]] linking London to the Midlands, North West England, and Yorkshire.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=11 February 2021|title=Phase 2a Act to bring HS2 to the north|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/phase-2a-act-to-bring-hs2-to-the-north|access-date=28 July 2022|website=gov.uk|language=en}}</ref>

===Buses, coaches and trams===
{{multiple image
| footer            = The [[New Routemaster]] is the spiritual successor to the [[AEC Routemaster]]. First appearing in 1947, the red double-decker bus is an emblematic symbol of London.
| align             = right
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| image1            = LTZ1423-15-20240430-193650.jpg
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| image2            = East London Routemaster bus RM2050 (ALM 50B) heritage route 15 St Pauls 5 December 2005.jpg
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}}

London's [[London Buses|bus network]] runs 24 hours a day with about 9,300 vehicles, over 675 bus routes and about 19,000 bus stops.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What we do – Buses |url= http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/about-tfl/what-we-do/buses |publisher= Transport for London |access-date=5 April 2014}}</ref> In 2019 the network had over 2 billion commuter trips per year.<ref>{{Cite web |date=28 October 2020 |title=Annual bus statistics: England 2019/20 |url= https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/929992/annual-bus-statistics-year-ending-march-2020.pdf |access-date=25 March 2021 |publisher=Department for Transport |page=2}}</ref> Since 2010 an average of £1.2 billion is taken in revenue each year.<ref>{{Cite web |date=24 March 2021 |title=Government support for the bus industry and concessionary travel (England) (BUS05) |url= https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/bus05-subsidies-and-concessions |access-date=26 March 2021 |website=GOV.UK |type=BUS0501: Operating revenue for local bus services by revenue type, by metropolitan area status: England (ODS, 34.7KB)}}</ref> London has one of the largest wheelchair-accessible networks in the world,<ref name="london_131">{{Cite web |date=20 June 2017 |title=Most Accessible Cities Around The World |url= https://www.sunrisemedical.com.au/blog/world-accessible-cities |access-date=26 March 2021 |website=Sunrise Medical}}</ref> which, from 2009, became more accessible to hearing and visually impaired passengers as audio-visual announcements were introduced.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ten years of TfL's iBus has given greater independence to customers with hearing or visual impairments |url=https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/press-releases/2019/april/ten-years-of-tfl-s-ibus-has-given-greater-independence-to-customers-with-hearing-or-visual-impairments |access-date=16 August 2025 |publisher=Transport for London}}</ref>

An emblem of London, the red [[double-decker bus]] first appeared in the city in 1947 with the [[AEC Regent III RT]] (predecessor to the [[AEC Routemaster]]).<ref>{{cite book |last1=Blake |first1=Jim |title=London Transport Buses in the 1960s |date=2022 |publisher=Pen & Sword Books |page=9}}</ref> London's coach hub is [[Victoria Coach Station]], opened in 1932. Nationalised in 1970 and then purchased by London Transport (now [[Transport for London]]), Victoria Coach Station has over 14&nbsp;million passengers a year and provides services across the UK and continental Europe.<ref>{{cite press release |title=Victoria Coach Station to remain major coach hub |url= https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/press-releases/2019/august/victoria-coach-station-to-remain-major-coach-hub |date=23 August 2019 |access-date=11 June 2022 |publisher= Transport for London}}</ref>

There is a modern tram network serving South London, known as [[Tramlink]]. It has 39 stops and four routes, and carried over 29&nbsp;million people in 2017.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Passenger journeys on London Tramlink, UK 2018 {{!}} Statista |url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/305537/passenger-journeys-on-croydon-tramlink-uk/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220216083357/https://www.statista.com/statistics/305537/passenger-journeys-on-croydon-tramlink-uk/ |archive-date=16 February 2022 |access-date=25 January 2025 |website=Statista |language=en |url-status=live }}</ref> Since June 2008, Transport for London has completely owned and operated Tramlink.<ref>{{Cite web |date=25 June 2008 |title=Statement of Accounts for the Year Ended 31 March 2008 |url= https://content.tfl.gov.uk/6-Statement-of-Acounts-2008.pdf |access-date=26 March 2021 |publisher= Transport for London |page=67}}</ref>

===Cable car===
London's first and to date only cable car is the [[London Cable Car]], which opened in June 2012. The cable car crosses the Thames and links [[Greenwich Peninsula]] with the [[Royal Docks]] in the east of the city. It is able to carry up to 2,500 passengers per hour in each direction at peak times.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-18619936 |work=BBC News |title=Thames cable car opens for passengers|date=28 June 2012|access-date=2 July 2023}}</ref>

===Cycling===
{{main|Cycling in London}}

[[File:Belgrave Road, Victoria, London - Boris Bikes - Santander Cycles by Elliott Brown.jpg|thumb|Santander Cycle Hire, near [[Victoria, London|Victoria]] in Central London]]
In the Greater London Area, around 670,000 people use a bike every day,<ref>{{Cite web |year=2016 |title=Travel in London Report 9 |url=http://content.tfl.gov.uk/travel-in-london-report-9.pdf |access-date=25 March 2021 |website=Transport for London|page=143}}</ref> meaning around 7% of the total population of around 8.8&nbsp;million use a bike on an average day.<ref>{{Cite web |title=United Kingdom: Greater London: Boroughs – Population Statistics, Charts and Map |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/uk/greaterlondon/ |access-date=25 March 2021 |website=citypopulation.de}}</ref> Cycling has become an increasingly popular way to get around London. The launch of a [[Bicycle-sharing system|bicycle hire scheme]] in July 2010 was successful and generally well received.<ref>{{Cite web |year=2016 |title=Travel in London Report 9 |url=http://content.tfl.gov.uk/travel-in-london-report-9.pdf |access-date=25 March 2021 |website=Travel in London |pages=146–147}}</ref>

===Port and river boats===
The [[Port of London]], once the largest in the world, is now only the second-largest in the United Kingdom, handling 45&nbsp;million tonnes of cargo each year as of 2009.<ref name="handling">{{Cite web |date=10 June 2010 |title=Provisional Port Statistics 2009 |url=http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/maritime/ports/provportstats2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110203090417/http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/maritime/ports/provportstats2009 |archive-date=3 February 2011 |access-date=26 April 2011 |website=[[Department for Transport]] }}</ref> Most of this cargo passes through the [[Port of Tilbury]], outside the boundary of Greater London.<ref name="handling"/>

London has river boat services on the Thames known as [[Thames Clippers]], which offer both commuter and tourist boat services.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Steves |first=Rick|title=Rick Steves England |date=17 March 2020 |publisher=Avalon Publishing |isbn=978-1-64171-237-8 |language=en}}</ref> At major piers including [[Canary Wharf Pier|Canary Wharf]], [[London Bridge City Pier|London Bridge City]], [[Battersea Power Station]] and [[London Eye Pier|London Eye]] (Waterloo), services depart at least every 20 minutes during commuter times.<ref>{{Cite web |year=2021 |title=Commute Through London – Uber Boat by Thames Clippers |url=https://www.thamesclippers.com/commuters/commute-by-river |access-date=26 March 2021 |website=thamesclippers.com |language=en-GB}}</ref> The [[Woolwich Ferry]], with 2.5&nbsp;million passengers every year, is a frequent service linking the [[North Circular Road, London|North]] and [[South Circular Road, London|South Circular]] Roads.<ref>{{Cite web |date=16 April 2013 |title=Woolwich Ferries celebrate 50 years of service |url=http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/media/newscentre/archive/27762.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130922034512/http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/media/newscentre/archive/27762.aspx |archive-date=22 September 2013 |access-date=26 March 2021 |website=[[Transport of London]]}}</ref>

===Roads===

[[File:16-11-16-Glasgow street scene-RR2 7280 (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|The [[hackney carriage]] (black cab) is a common sight on London streets. Black has been its standard colour since the [[Austin FX3]] model in 1948.]]
Although the majority of journeys in central London are made by public transport, car travel is common in the suburbs. The [[London Inner Ring Road|inner ring road]] (around the city centre), the [[A406 road|North]] and [[A205 road|South Circular]] roads (just within the suburbs), and the outer orbital motorway (the [[M25 motorway|M25]], just outside the built-up area in most places) encircle the city and are intersected by a number of busy radial routes, but very few motorways penetrate into [[inner London]]. The M25 is the second-longest ring-road motorway in Europe at {{convert|117|mi|adj=off}} long.<ref>{{Cite web |publisher=Highways Agency |date=25 June 2018 |url=http://www.highways.gov.uk/our-road-network/our-network/key-roads/m25/ |access-date=25 June 2018 |title=M25 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180626030215/http://www.highways.gov.uk/our-road-network/our-network/key-roads/m25/ |archive-date= 26 June 2018 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The [[A1 road (Great Britain)|A1]] and [[M1 motorway|M1]] connect London to [[Leeds]], and [[Newcastle upon Tyne|Newcastle]] and [[Edinburgh]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/roadlists/f99/1.shtml|title=SABRE - Road Lists - The First 99 - A1|website=Sabre-roads.org.uk|access-date=14 June 2023|archive-date=15 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211115121242/https://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/roadlists/f99/1.shtml|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The [[Austin Motor Company]] began making [[hackney carriage]]s (London taxis) in 1929, and models include [[Austin FX3]] from 1948, [[Austin FX4]] from 1958, with more recent models [[TXII]] and [[TX4]] manufactured by [[London Taxis International]]. The BBC states, "ubiquitous black cabs and red double-decker buses all have long and tangled stories that are deeply embedded in London's traditions".<ref name="London traditions"/>
Although traditionally black, some are painted in other colours or bear advertising.<ref>{{cite news |title=THE RULES: Why can London taxis choose to display advertising livery, but minicabs can't? |url=https://www.taxi-point.co.uk/post/the-rules-why-can-london-taxis-choose-to-display-advertising-livery-but-minicabs-can-t |access-date=18 May 2024 |agency=Taxi point}}</ref>

[[File:Wavy lines before pedestrian crossing.jpg|thumb|The zigzag lines on a street in central London indicate to motorists they are approaching a [[zebra crossing]] where pedestrians have the right of way once they set foot on it.]]
London is notorious for its traffic congestion; in 2009, the average speed of a car in the rush hour was recorded at {{convert|10.6|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Mulholland |first1=Hélène |title=Boris Johnson mulls 'intelligent' congestion charge system for London |url= https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2009/mar/16/boris-johnson-congestion-charge |work=The Guardian |location= London |date=16 March 2009}}</ref> In 2003, a [[London congestion charge|congestion charge]] was introduced to reduce traffic volumes in the city centre. With a few exceptions, motorists are required to pay to drive within a defined zone encompassing much of central London.<ref>{{Cite web |url= http://theconversation.com/london-congestion-charge-what-worked-what-didnt-what-next-92478 |title=London congestion charge: what worked, what didn't, what next |last=Badstuber |first=Nicole |website=The Conversation |date=2 March 2018 |access-date=28 April 2020}}</ref> Motorists who are residents of the defined zone can buy a greatly reduced season pass.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/projects/congestion/ |title=Central London Congestion Charging, England |website=Verdict Traffic |access-date=28 April 2020 |archive-date=19 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230519182110/https://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/projects/congestion/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Over the course of several years, the average number of cars entering the centre of London on a weekday was reduced from 195,000 to 125,000.<ref>Table 3 in Santos, Georgina; Button, Kenneth; Noll, Roger G. "London Congestion Charging/Comments." Brookings-Wharton Papers on Urban Affairs.15287084 (2008): 177,177–234.</ref> The [[zebra crossing]], the world's first marked [[pedestrian crossing]], appear across London; they were developed and trialled by the [[Department for Transport|Ministry of Transport]] in 1949 due to the increase in car traffic after the Second World War before the first was officially installed in 1951.<ref>{{Cite web|title=A Short History of the Crosswalk|url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/short-history-crosswalk-180965339/|access-date=22 June 2025|work=Smithsonian}}</ref> [[Low Traffic Neighbourhood|Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTN)]] were widely introduced in London.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Walker |first1=Peter |title=Health gains of low-traffic schemes up to 100 times greater than costs, study finds |url= https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/mar/08/health-gains-of-low-traffic-schemes-up-to-100-times-greater-than-costs-study-finds |access-date=10 March 2024 |work=The Guardian |location= London |date=8 March 2024}}</ref>

==Education==
{{main|Education in London}}

===Tertiary education===
{{See also|List of universities and higher education colleges in London}}
[[File:University College London -quadrant-11Sept2006 (1).jpg|thumb|[[University College London]] (UCL), established by Royal Charter in 1836, is one of the founding colleges of the [[University of London]].]]
[[File:Imperial College London down Exhibition Road.jpg|thumb|[[Imperial College London]], a technical research university focusing on science, engineering, medicine and business, in [[South Kensington]]]]
[[File:Centre Building, LSE from LSE Square.jpg|thumb|The [[London School of Economics]] (Centre Building pictured) was established in 1895.]]

London is a major global centre of higher education, teaching and research and has the largest concentration of higher education institutes in Europe.<ref name="london2"/> According to the QS World University Rankings 2015/16, London has the greatest concentration of top class universities in the world<ref>{{Cite web |date=11 September 2015 |title=QS World University Rankings® 2015/16 |url=http://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2015#sorting=rank+region=+country=+faculty=+stars=false+search= |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150914234029/https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2015#sorting=rank+region=+country=+faculty=+stars=false+search= |archive-date=14 September 2015 |access-date=27 March 2021 |website=Top Universities}}</ref> and its international student population of around 110,000 is larger than any other city in the world.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Malthouse |first=Kit |date=1 January 1990 |title=Capital offer |url=https://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/2013-14/world-ranking/analysis/capital-offer |access-date=27 March 2021|website=timeshighereducation.com}}</ref> A 2014 [[PricewaterhouseCoopers]] report termed London the global capital of higher education.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://pdf.pwc.co.uk/cities-of-opportunity-2014-london.pdf |title=Pricewaterhousecoopers |access-date=26 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612143014/http://pdf.pwc.co.uk/cities-of-opportunity-2014-london.pdf |archive-date=12 June 2018 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
A number of world-leading education institutions are based in London. In the 2022 ''[[QS World University Rankings]]'', [[Imperial College London]] is ranked No. 6 in the world, [[University College London]] (UCL) is ranked 8th, and [[King's College London]] (KCL) is ranked 37th.<ref>{{Cite web |title=QS World University Rankings 2023: Top Global Universities |url=https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2023 |access-date=19 September 2022 |website=Top Universities |language=en}}</ref> All are regularly ranked highly, with Imperial College being the UK's leading university in the [[Research Excellence Framework]] ranking 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |date=12 May 2022 |title=REF 2021: Quality ratings hit new high in expanded assessment |url=https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/ref-2021-research-excellence-framework-results-announced |access-date=19 September 2022 |website=Times Higher Education  |language=en}}</ref> The [[London School of Economics]] (LSE) has been described as the world's leading social science institution for both teaching and research.<ref name="london_156">{{Cite news |last=Hipwell |first=Deirdre |date=23 September 2007 |title=London School of Economics and Political Science |work=The Times |location=London |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/sunday_times_university_guide/article2496158.ece |url-status=dead |access-date=27 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081202225123/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/sunday_times_university_guide/article2496158.ece |archive-date=2 December 2008}}</ref> The [[London Business School]] is considered one of the world's leading business schools and in 2015 its MBA programme was ranked second-best in the world by the ''[[Financial Times]]''.<ref name="ft">{{Cite news |url=http://rankings.ft.com/businessschoolrankings/global-mba-rankings |title=FT Global MBA Rankings |work=Financial Times |access-date=25 January 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110504135153/http://rankings.ft.com/businessschoolrankings/global-mba-rankings |archive-date=4 May 2011 |url-status=live |location=London}}</ref> The city is also home to three of the world's top ten performing arts schools (as ranked by the 2020 QS World University Rankings<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/university-subject-rankings/2020/performing-arts |title=Performing Arts |date=25 February 2020 |website=Top Universities}}</ref>): the [[Royal College of Music]] (ranking 2nd in the world), the [[Royal Academy of Music]] (ranking 4th) and the [[Guildhall School of Music and Drama]] (ranking 6th).<ref>{{cite news |title=2022 QS World University Rankings by Subject: Performing Arts |url=https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/university-subject-rankings/2022/performing-arts |access-date=26 June 2022 |website=Top Universities.com}}</ref>

With{{HESA student population|INSTID=LON}} students in London and around 48,000 in [[University of London Worldwide]],<ref name=External>{{Cite web |url=https://london.ac.uk/sites/default/files/governance/university-of-london-financial-statement-2018-19.pdf |title=Financial Statements 2018–19 |publisher=University of London |access-date=1 March 2020 |page=8}}</ref> the federal [[University of London]] is the largest contact teaching university in the UK.<ref>{{Cite web |year=2007|title=Table 0a – All Students by Institution, Mode of Study, Level of Study, Gender and Domicile 2005/06 |url=https://www.hesa.ac.uk/dox/dataTables/studentsAndQualifiers/download/institution0506.xls |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928044330/http://www.hesa.ac.uk/dox/dataTables/studentsAndQualifiers/download/institution0506.xls |archive-date=28 September 2007 |access-date=27 March 2021 |website=HESA}}</ref> It includes five multi-faculty universities – [[City, University of London|City]], King's College London, [[Queen Mary, University of London|Queen Mary]], [[Royal Holloway]] and UCL – and a number of smaller and more specialised institutions including [[Birkbeck College|Birkbeck]], the [[Courtauld Institute of Art]], [[Goldsmiths, University of London|Goldsmiths]], the London Business School, the London School of Economics, the [[London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine]], the [[Royal Academy of Music]], the [[Central School of Speech and Drama]], the [[Royal Veterinary College]] and the [[School of Oriental and African Studies]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Member institutions |url=https://london.ac.uk/ways-study/study-campus-london/member-institutions |access-date=27 March 2021 |website=University of London |language=en}}</ref>

Universities in London outside the University of London system include [[Brunel University]], [[Imperial College London]],{{efn|Imperial College London was a constituent college of the University of London between 1908 and 2007. Degrees during this time were awarded by the federal university; however, the college now issues its own degrees.}} [[Kingston University]], [[London Metropolitan University]], [[University of East London]], [[University of West London]], [[University of Westminster]], [[London South Bank University]], [[Middlesex University]] and [[University of the Arts London]] (the largest university of art, design, fashion, communication and the performing arts in Europe).<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2008/may/01/universityguide.highereducation42 |title=University of the Arts London |date=1 May 2008 |work=The Guardian |access-date=27 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110501135123/http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/may/01/universityguide.highereducation42 |archive-date=1 May 2011 |url-status=live |location=London}}</ref> There are also three international universities – [[Regent's College|Regent's University London]], [[Richmond American University London]] and [[Schiller International University]].

[[File:KCL Guys Campus1.jpg|thumb|left|[[King's College London]]'s [[Guy's Campus]], home to the university's [[King's College London School of Medicine|Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine]]]]
London is home to [[United Hospitals|five major medical schools]]&nbsp;– [[Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry]] (part of [[Queen Mary, University of London|Queen Mary]]), [[King's College London School of Medicine]] (the largest medical school in Europe), [[Imperial College School of Medicine]], [[UCL Medical School]] and [[St George's, University of London]]&nbsp;– and has many affiliated teaching hospitals. It is also a major centre for biomedical research, and three of the UK's eight [[academic health science centre]]s are based in the city&nbsp;– [[Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust|Imperial College Healthcare]], [[King's Health Partners]] and [[UCL Partners]] (the largest such centre in Europe).<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2008/aug/07/health.highereducation |title=NHS hospitals to forge £2bn research link-up with university |last=Carvel |first=John |date=7 August 2008 |work=The Guardian |access-date=6 September 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110501140334/http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/aug/07/health.highereducation |archive-date=1 May 2011 |url-status=live |location=London}}</ref> Additionally, many biomedical and biotechnology spin out companies from these research institutions are based around the city, most prominently in [[White City, London|White City]]. Founded by [[Florence Nightingale]] at [[St Thomas' Hospital]] in 1860, the [[Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery|first nursing school]] is now part of King's College London.<ref>{{cite news |title=Florence Nightingale: The Mother of Nursing |work=National Institutes of Health|year=2015 |pmc=4557413 |last1=Karimi |first1=H. |last2=Masoudi Alavi |first2=N. |volume=4 |issue=2 |pages=e29475 |pmid=26339672 }}</ref> It was at King's in 1952 where a team led by [[Rosalind Franklin]] captured ''[[Photo 51]]'', the critical evidence in identifying the structure of [[DNA]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/photo51/anat-flash.html |title=Anatomy of Photo 51 |last=Krock |first=Lexi |work=NOVA online |publisher=PBS |date=22 April 2003 |access-date=19 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100729050654/http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/photo51/anat-flash.html |archive-date=29 July 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref> There are a number of business schools in London, including the [[London School of Business and Finance]], [[Cass Business School]] (part of [[City University London]]), [[Hult International Business School]], [[ESCP Europe]], [[European Business School London]], [[Imperial College Business School]], the [[London Business School]] and the [[UCL School of Management]].

[[File:Royal Academy of Dramatic Art - geograph.org.uk - 2492593.jpg|thumb|upright=0.9|Opened in 1904, [[RADA]] (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art) is a member of the UK's [[Federation of Drama Schools]].]]
London is also home to many specialist arts education institutions, including esteemed drama schools such as [[RADA]] (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art), the [[London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art]] (LAMDA), [[Drama Studio London]], [[Sylvia Young Theatre School]], the [[Royal Central School of Speech and Drama]] and the [[Guildhall School of Music and Drama]], as well as the [[London College of Contemporary Arts]] (LCCA), [[Central School of Ballet]], [[London Contemporary Dance School]], [[The Circus Space|National Centre for Circus Arts]], [[Rambert Dance Company|Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance]], the [[Royal College of Art]] and [[Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance]]. The [[BRIT School]] in the London borough of Croydon provides training for the performing arts and technologies.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.croydonadvertiser.co.uk/whats-on/music-nightlife/11-famous-former-pupils-you-432659|title=11 of the most famous people who studied at Croydon's BRIT School|last=Truelove|first=Sam|date=13 October 2016|work=Croydon Advertiser|access-date=17 July 2022}}</ref>

===Primary and secondary education===
{{see also|Centre for School Design}}
The majority of primary and secondary schools and further-education colleges in London are controlled by the [[London boroughs]] or otherwise state-funded; leading examples include [[Ashbourne College]], [[Bethnal Green Academy]], [[Brampton Manor Academy]], [[City and Islington College]], [[City of Westminster College]], [[David Game College]], [[Ealing, Hammersmith and West London College]], [[Leyton Sixth Form College]], [[London Academy of Excellence]], [[Tower Hamlets College]], and [[Newham Collegiate Sixth Form Centre]]. There are also a number of private schools and colleges in London, some old and famous, such as [[City of London School]], [[Harrow School|Harrow]] (alumni includes seven former British prime ministers), [[St Paul's School, London|St Paul's School]], [[Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School]], [[University College School]], [[The John Lyon School]], [[Highgate School]] and [[Westminster School]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Schools: Harrow School |url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/middx/vol1/pp299-302 |access-date=2 May 2024 |publisher=BHO}}</ref>

===Royal Observatory, Greenwich and learned societies===
[[File:Tourists taking pictures at Prime Meridian monument, Greenwich Observatory, London.jpg|thumb|upright=1|right|Tourists queuing to take pictures on the line of the historic [[Prime meridian (Greenwich)|prime meridian]] at the [[Royal Observatory, Greenwich]]]]
Founded in 1675, the [[Royal Observatory, Greenwich|Royal Observatory]] in [[Greenwich]] was established to address the problem of calculating [[longitude]] for navigational purposes. This pioneering work in solving longitude featured in astronomer royal [[Nevil Maskelyne]]'s ''[[Nautical Almanac]]'' which made the Greenwich meridian the universal reference point, and helped lead to the international adoption of Greenwich as the [[prime meridian]] (0° longitude) in 1884.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ridpath |first1=Ian |title=A Dictionary of Astronomy |date=2012 |publisher=Oxford University Press |page=198}}</ref>

Important scientific [[learned societies]] based in London include the [[Royal Society]] - the UK's national [[academy of sciences]] and the oldest national scientific institution in the world - founded in 1660,<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|title=Royal Society|encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Royal-Society|access-date=23 July 2022|last=Hunter|first=Michael}}</ref> and the [[Royal Institution]], founded in 1799. Since 1825, the [[Royal Institution Christmas Lectures]] have presented scientific subjects to a general audience, and speakers have included the physicist and inventor [[Michael Faraday]], the aerospace engineer [[Frank Whittle]], the naturalist [[David Attenborough]] and the evolutionary biologist [[Richard Dawkins]].<ref>{{cite web|title=History of the Christmas Lectures|url=http://www.rigb.org/christmas-lectures/history|publisher=The Royal Institution|access-date=22 April 2015}}</ref>

==Culture==
{{main|Culture of London}}

===Leisure and entertainment===
{{see also|List of annual events in London|West End theatre}}
Leisure is a major part of the London economy. A 2003 report attributed a quarter of the entire UK leisure economy to London<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mayor of London – Spending Time: Londons Leisure Economy |url=http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/economic_unit/spending_time.jsp |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20031219084151/http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/economic_unit/spending_time.jsp |url-status=dead |archive-date=19 December 2003 |website=london.gov.uk |access-date=30 September 2015}}</ref> at 25.6 events per 1000 people.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Chadha |first1=Aayush |title=UK Event Data – In Review |url=https://www.tickx.co.uk/article/772 |website=tickx.co.uk |access-date=11 December 2017 |archive-date=1 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201232544/https://www.tickx.co.uk/article/772 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The city is one of the four [[fashion capital]]s of the world, and, according to official statistics, is the world's third-busiest film production centre, presents more live comedy than any other city,<ref>{{Cite web |title=20 facts about London's culture {{!}} London City Hall |url=https://www.london.gov.uk/priorities/arts-culture/promoting-arts-culture/20-facts-about-london-s-culture |website=London.gov.uk |access-date=30 September 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20151001092404/https://www.london.gov.uk/priorities/arts-culture/promoting-arts-culture/20-facts-about-london-s-culture |archive-date=1 October 2015}}</ref> and has the biggest theatre audience of any city in the world.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Study puts London ahead of New York as centre for theatre |url=http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/54e31212-17f1-11e4-b842-00144feabdc0.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/54e31212-17f1-11e4-b842-00144feabdc0.html |archive-date=10 December 2022 |url-access=subscription |work=Financial Times |location= London |date=30 July 2014 |access-date=30 September 2015 |first=James |last=Pickford}}</ref>

[[File:Harrods at Night, London - Nov 2012.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Harrods]] department store in [[Knightsbridge]]]]
Within the [[City of Westminster]], the entertainment district of the [[West End of London|West End]] has its focus around [[Leicester Square]], where London and world film [[premiere]]s are held, and [[Piccadilly Circus]], with its giant electronic advertisements.<ref name="london_160">{{Cite web |url=http://www.piccadillylights.co.uk/ |title=Piccadilly Lights |publisher=Land Securities |access-date=3 November 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110426103109/http://www.piccadillylights.co.uk/ |archive-date=26 April 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> London's [[West End theatre|theatre district]] is here, as are many cinemas, bars, clubs, and restaurants, including the city's [[Chinatown, London|Chinatown]] district (in [[Soho]]), and just to the east is [[Royal Opera House|Covent Garden]], an area housing speciality shops. In 1881, the West End's [[Savoy Theatre]], which was built to showcase the plays of [[Gilbert and Sullivan]], was fitted with the incandescent light bulb developed by Sir [[Joseph Swan]] to become the first public building in the world to be lit entirely by electricity.<ref>{{cite news |title=A tour of Michael Faraday in London |url=https://www.rigb.org/explore-science/explore/collection/tour-michael-faraday-london |access-date=6 July 2024 |work=[[The Royal Institution]]}}</ref> The city is the home of [[Andrew Lloyd Webber]], whose musicals have dominated West End theatre since the late 20th century.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=AWaZ1LAFAZEC Sondheim and Lloyd-Webber: the new musical] ''[[The New York Times]]'' referred to Andrew Lloyd Webber as "the most commercially successful composer in history"</ref> [[Agatha Christie]]'s ''[[The Mousetrap]]'', the world's longest-running play, has been performed in the West End since 1952.<ref>{{cite news |title=The Mousetrap at 60: why is this the world's longest-running play? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2012/nov/20/mousetrap-60-years-agatha-christie |access-date=20 July 2022 |work=The Guardian}}</ref> The [[Laurence Olivier Awards]]–named after [[Laurence Olivier]]–are given annually by the [[Society of London Theatre]]. The [[Royal Ballet]], [[English National Ballet]], [[Royal Opera, London|Royal Opera]], and [[English National Opera]] are based in London and perform at the [[Royal Opera House]], the [[London Coliseum]], [[Sadler's Wells Theatre]] and the [[Royal Albert Hall]], as well as touring the country.<ref name="London's Concerts">{{Cite web |url=http://www.yourlondon.gov.uk/visiting/topic.jsp?topicid=6482&search_title=Theatres+and+concert+halls |title=Theatres and concert halls |publisher=Your London |access-date=6 June 2008 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080124185332/http://www.yourlondon.gov.uk/visiting/topic.jsp?topicid=6482&search_title=Theatres%2Band%2Bconcert%2Bhalls |archive-date=24 January 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> London was the centre of [[music hall]], with the [[Hackney Empire]], host to many music hall stars, among the best-surviving Edwardian era variety theatres.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Morrison |first1=Kevin A. |title=Encyclopedia of London's East End |date=2023 |publisher=McFarland |pages=97–98}}</ref>
 
[[Islington]]'s {{convert|1|mi|km}} long [[Upper Street]], extending northwards from [[Angel, London|Angel]], has more bars and restaurants than any other street in the UK.<ref name=london_161>{{Cite web |title=2001: Public houses |work=BBC History |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/trail/local_history/city/street_03.shtml?publichouses |access-date=4 June 2008 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110430191354/http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/trail/local_history/city/street_03.shtml?publichouses |archive-date=30 April 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> Europe's busiest shopping area is [[Oxford Street]], a shopping street nearly {{convert|1|mi|km}} long, making it the longest shopping street in the UK. It is home to vast numbers of retailers and [[department stores]], including [[Selfridges]] [[Flagship store#Retailing|flagship store]].<ref>{{Cite web |url= http://www.london.gov.uk/londoner/06sep/p7a.jsp |publisher=[[The Londoner]] |title=Oxford Street gets its own dedicated local police team |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070930204913/http://www.london.gov.uk/londoner/06sep/p7a.jsp |date=September 2006 |access-date=19 June 2007 |archive-date=30 September 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Knightsbridge]], home to the equally renowned [[Harrods]] department store, lies to the south-west. One of the world's largest retail destinations, London frequently ranks at or near the top of retail sales of any city.<ref>{{Cite news |url= http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/02/17/uk-retail-major-cities-idUKLNE71G00420110217 |title=London tops world cities spending league |access-date=29 April 2011 |work=Reuters |date=17 February 2011 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110220031529/http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/02/17/uk-retail-major-cities-idUKLNE71G00420110217 |archive-date=20 February 2011 |url-status=dead |first=Mark |last=Potter }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=London is world's shopping capital with £62billion sales |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/hp/front/london-is-worlds-shopping-capital-with-ps62billion-sales-6568278.html |access-date=17 November 2023 |work=Evening Standard}}</ref> Opened in 1760 with its flagship store on [[Regent Street]] since 1881, [[Hamleys]] is the oldest [[toy store|toy shop]] in the world.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Guinness Book of Records 1994|page=134|author=Peter Matthews, Michelle Dunkley McCarthy|publisher=Facts on File|year= 1994}}</ref> The [[British Boot Company|Camden Town shoe retailer]] of [[Dr. Martens]] footwear was a favourite haunt of punk musicians.<ref>{{cite news |title=British Boot Company: Shopping in Camden Town, London |url=https://www.timeout.com/london/shopping/british-boot-company |access-date=7 January 2025 |work=Time Out}}</ref> [[Madame Tussauds]] wax museum opened in [[Baker Street]] in 1835, an era viewed as being when London's tourism industry began.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Smith |first1=Andrew |last2=Graham |first2=Anne |title=Destination London. The Expansion of the Visitor Economy |date=2019 |publisher=University of Westminster Press |page=6}}</ref>

[[File:Notting_hill_carnival.jpg|thumb|upright|left|A scene of the annual [[Notting Hill Carnival]], 2014]]
London is home to the designers [[John Galliano]], [[Stella McCartney]], [[Manolo Blahnik]] and [[Jimmy Choo]], among others; its renowned art and fashion schools make it one of the four international centres of fashion. [[Mary Quant]] designed the [[miniskirt]] in her [[King's Road]] boutique in [[Swinging Sixties|Swinging Sixties London]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Royal Mail's British design classic stamps |url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2009/jan/13/stamps-british-design-classics |date=13 January 2009 |access-date=1 October 2022 |newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref> In 2017, London was ranked the top city for luxury store openings.<ref>{{cite news |title=London crowned top city for luxury store openings |url=https://uk.fashionnetwork.com/news/London-crowned-top-city-for-luxury-store-openings,1083671.html |access-date=17 November 2023 |work=Fashion Network}}</ref> [[London Fashion Week]] takes place twice a year, in February and September; exhibitions have included ''[[Jack the Ripper Stalks His Victims]]'', the first collection by [[Alexander McQueen]].<ref>{{cite news |title=In Pictures: Top 10 Moments from London Fashion Week |url=https://www.ldnfashion.com/features/top-10-london-fashion-week-moments/ |access-date=18 December 2024 |work=LDN Fashion}}</ref> Londoners on the catwalk have included [[Naomi Campbell]], [[Kate Moss]] and [[Cara Delevingne]].<ref>{{cite news |title=London Fashion Week: Cara Delevingne, Naomi Campbell And Kate Moss Make The Burberry FROW |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/burberry-london-fashion-week-cara-delevingne-naomi-campbell-kate-moss_uk_59bd7249e4b0edff971c9364 |access-date=17 April 2024 |work=Huffington Post}}</ref>

London offers a great variety of cuisine as a result of its ethnically diverse population. Gastronomic centres include the Bangladeshi restaurants of [[Brick Lane]] and the [[Chinese food|Chinese]] restaurants of [[Chinatown, London|Chinatown]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.chinatownlondon.org/ |title=Chinatown&nbsp;— Official website |publisher=Chinatown London |access-date=27 April 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110501115502/http://www.chinatownlondon.org/ |archive-date=1 May 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> There are [[Chinese takeaway]]s throughout London, as are Indian restaurants which provide [[English cuisine#Indian and Anglo-Indian cuisine|Indian and Anglo-Indian cuisine]].<ref>{{cite web | last=Sukhadwala | first=Sejal | title=How Long Have Londoners Been Eating Chinese Food For? | website=Londonist | date=12 April 2017 | url=https://londonist.com/london/how-london-got-a-taste-for-chinese-food | access-date=14 June 2020}}</ref> Around 1860, the first [[fish and chips]] shop in London was opened by Joseph Malin, a Jewish immigrant, in [[Bow, London|Bow]].<ref name="London traditions">{{cite news |title=Chipping away at the history of fish and chips |url=https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20130409-chipping-away-at-the-history-of-fish-and-chips |access-date=19 June 2022 |work=BBC}}</ref> The [[full English breakfast]] dates from the Victorian era, and many [[Cafe (British)|cafe]]s in London serve a full English throughout the day.<ref>{{cite news |title=History Of The Traditional English Breakfast |url=https://englishbreakfastsociety.com/full-english-breakfast.html |access-date=23 July 2022 |work=English Breakfast Society}}</ref> London has five 3-[[Michelin star]] restaurants, including [[Restaurant Gordon Ramsay]] in [[Chelsea, London|Chelsea]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Gordon Ramsay celebrates having three Michelin stars for 21 years |url=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/entertainment/celebrity/gordon-ramsay-celebrates-having-three-26251935 |access-date=22 July 2022 |work=Daily Record}}</ref> Many hotels in London provide a traditional [[afternoon tea]] service, such as the [[Hotel Café Royal#Restoration and conversion|Oscar Wilde Lounge]] at the [[Hotel Café Royal]] in Piccadilly, and a themed tea service is also available, for example an ''[[Alice's Adventures in Wonderland|Alice in Wonderland]]'' themed afternoon tea served at the [[Egerton House Hotel]], and ''[[Charlie and the Chocolate Factory]]'' themed afternoon tea at [[One Aldwych]] in Covent Garden.<ref>{{cite news |title=Afternoon Tea At Oscar Wilde's Favorite Bar |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/joanneshurvell/2017/11/29/afternoon-tea-at-oscar-wildes-favorite-bar/ |access-date=3 July 2022 |work=Forbes}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=17 themed afternoon teas perfect for Mother's Day |url=https://www.you.co.uk/themed-afternoon-teas/ |access-date=14 July 2022 |work=You}}</ref> The nation's most popular [[biscuit]] to [[Dunking (biscuit)|dunk]] in tea, [[chocolate digestive]]s have been manufactured by [[McVitie's]] at their [[Harlesden]] factory in north-west London since 1925.<ref>{{cite news |title=Inside the Factory: BBC documentary goes behind the scenes of west London factory churning out 80 million biscuits a day |url=https://www.mylondon.news/news/west-london-news/inside-factory-bbc-documentary-goes-13415002 |access-date=20 August 2022 |work=My London}}</ref>

[[File:Restaurante The Swan, Londres, Inglaterra, 2014-08-11, DD 113.jpg|thumb|[[Shakespeare's Globe]] is a modern reconstruction of the Globe Theatre on the south bank of the Thames.]]
There is a variety of [[List of annual events in London|annual events]], beginning with the relatively new [[New Year's Day Parade]], a fireworks display at the [[London Eye]]; the world's second largest [[street party]], the [[Notting Hill Carnival]], is held on the late [[August Bank Holiday]] each year. Traditional parades include November's [[Lord Mayor's Show]], a centuries-old event celebrating the annual appointment of a new [[Lord Mayor of the City of London]] with a procession along the streets of the city, and June's [[Trooping the Colour]], a formal military pageant, which culminates with a [[flypast]] over London, performed by regiments of the [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] and [[British Army|British]] armies to celebrate the [[King's Official Birthday]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page4820.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080620233221/http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page4820.asp |archive-date=20 June 2008 |title=One Queen, Two Birthdays |publisher=Royal Government |access-date=27 September 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Boishakhi Mela]] is a [[Bengali New Year]] festival celebrated by the [[British Bangladeshi]] community. It is the largest open-air Asian festival in Europe. After the Notting Hill Carnival, it is the second-largest street festival in the United Kingdom attracting over 80,000 visitors.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.eastlondonlines.co.uk/2018/05/celebrate-the-bengali-new-year-this-summer-in-tower-hamlets/ |publisher=East London Lines |last=Andreou |first=Roza |title=Celebrate the Bengali New Year this summer in Tower Hamlets |date=25 May 2018}}</ref> First held in 1862, the [[Chelsea Flower Show|RHS Chelsea Flower Show]] (run by the [[Royal Horticultural Society]]) takes place in May every year.<ref>{{cite news |title=RHS Chelsea Flower Show  |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2002/04_april/17/chelseapack.pdf |access-date=7 July 2022 |work=BBC}}</ref>

===LGBT scene===
{{main|LGBT culture in London}}

The first [[gay bar]] in London in the modern sense was [[The Cave of the Golden Calf]], established as a [[nightclub]] in an underground location at 9 [[Heddon Street]], just off [[Regent Street]], in 1912 and "which developed a reputation for sexual freedom and tolerance of same-sex relations".<ref>{{Cite book|title=London and the Culture of Homosexuality, 1885–1914 (Cambridge Studies in Nineteenth-Century Literature and Culture)|author=Matt Cook|isbn=978-0521089807|date=6 November 2008|publisher=Cambridge University Press |url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/londoncultureofh00matt|page=120}}</ref> 
[[File:Comptons-Of-Soho.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Comptons of Soho]] during [[Pride in London|London Pride]] in 2010]]
While London has been an LGBT tourism destination, after [[Sexual Offences Act 1967|homosexuality was decriminalised]] in England in 1967 gay bar culture became more visible, and from the early 1970s [[Soho]] (and in particular [[Old Compton Street]]) became the centre of the [[LGBT culture in London|London LGBT community]].<ref name="Olson"/> [[G-A-Y]], previously based at the [[London Astoria|Astoria]], and now [[Heaven (nightclub)|Heaven]], is a long-running nightclub.<ref>{{Cite web |date=30 November 2019 |title=Forty years of sheer Heaven at the London superclub |url=http://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/nov/30/40-years-of-sheer-heaven-london-gay-superclub |access-date=25 August 2022 |work=The Guardian |language=en}}</ref>

Wider British cultural movements have influenced LGBT culture: for example, the emergence of [[glam rock]] in the UK in the early 1970s, via [[Marc Bolan]] and [[David Bowie]], saw a generation of teenagers begin playing with the idea of androgyny, and the West End musical ''[[The Rocky Horror Show]]'', which debuted in London in 1973, is also widely said to have been an influence on countercultural and sexual liberation movements.<ref>{{Cite news |date=25 September 2015 |title=We Live in the World 'Rocky Horror' Created |language=en-US |work=Flavorwire |url=http://flavorwire.com/539534/we-live-in-the-world-rocky-horror-created |access-date=22 May 2017}}</ref> The [[Blitz Kids (New Romantics)|Blitz Kids]] (which included [[Boy George]]) frequented the Tuesday club-night at Blitz in [[Covent Garden]], helping launch the [[New Romantic]] subcultural movement in the late 1970s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theblitzkids.com/site_archive/theblitzkids/menuboy.html |title=Boy George |publisher=The Blitz Kids |access-date=30 June 2022 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110830193512/http://theblitzkids.com/site_archive/theblitzkids/menuboy.html |archive-date=30 August 2011 }}</ref> Today, the annual [[Pride in London|London Pride Parade]] and the [[London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival]] are held in the city.<ref name="Olson">Olson, Donald. ''London for Dummies'' (Volume 136 of Dummies Travel). [[John Wiley & Sons]], 2 February 2010. 6th Edition. {{ISBN|0470619651}}, 9780470619650. p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=vrayaSsuQbUC&pg=PA67 67].</ref>

===Literature, film and television===
{{main|London in fiction|London in film|List of television shows set in London|London Television Archive}}

[[File:Sherlock Holmes Museum.jpg|left|thumb|[[Sherlock Holmes Museum]] in [[Baker Street]], bearing the number 221B]]

London has been the setting for many works of literature. The pilgrims in [[Geoffrey Chaucer]]'s late 14th-century ''[[The Canterbury Tales|Canterbury Tales]]'' set out for [[Canterbury]] from London. [[William Shakespeare]] spent a large part of his life living and working in London; his contemporary [[Ben Jonson]] was also based there, and some of his work, most notably his play ''[[The Alchemist (play)|The Alchemist]]'', was set in the city.<ref name="London in Literature"/> ''[[A Journal of the Plague Year]]'' (1722) by [[Daniel Defoe]] is a fictionalisation of the events of the 1665 [[Great Plague of London|Great Plague]].<ref name="London in Literature"/>

The literary centres of London have traditionally been hilly [[Hampstead]] and (since the early 20th century) [[Bloomsbury]]. Writers closely associated with the city are the diarist [[Samuel Pepys]], noted for his eyewitness account of the [[Great Fire of London|Great Fire]]; [[Charles Dickens]], whose representation of a foggy, snowy, grimy London of street sweepers and pickpockets has influenced people's vision of early [[Victorian era|Victorian]] London; and [[Virginia Woolf]], regarded as one of the foremost [[modernist literature|modernist]] literary figures of the 20th century.<ref name="London in Literature">{{Cite web |url=http://www.brynmawr.edu/library/speccoll/guides/london/londoninliterature.shtml |title=London in Literature |publisher=Bryn Mawr College |access-date=6 June 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110427043832/http://www.brynmawr.edu/library/speccoll/guides/london/londoninliterature.shtml |archive-date=27 April 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> Later important depictions of London from the 19th and early-20th centuries are [[Arthur Conan Doyle]]'s [[Sherlock Holmes]] stories.<ref name="London in Literature"/> [[Robert Louis Stevenson]] mixed in London literary circles, and in 1886 he wrote the ''[[Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde]]'', a [[Gothic fiction|gothic]] novella set in Victorian London.<ref>{{cite news |title=Robert Louis Stevenson's Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde |url=https://www.britishlibrary.cn/en/works/jekyllandhyde/ |access-date=15 June 2023 |publisher=British Library}}</ref> In 1898 [[H. G. Wells]]' [[science fiction]] novel ''[[The War of the Worlds]]'' sees London (and southern England) invaded by Martians.<ref>{{cite news |title=The War of the Worlds |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-War-of-the-Worlds-novel-by-Wells#ref343460 |access-date=2 August 2022 |work=Encyclopaedia Britannica}}</ref> [[Letitia Elizabeth Landon]] wrote ''Calendar of the London Seasons'' in 1834. Modern writers influenced by the city include [[Peter Ackroyd]], author of ''[[London: The Biography]]'', and [[Iain Sinclair]], who writes in the genre of [[psychogeography]]. In the 1940s, [[George Orwell]] wrote essays in the ''[[Evening Standard|London Evening Standard]]'', including "[[A Nice Cup of Tea]]" (method for making tea) and "[[The Moon Under Water]]" (an ideal [[pub]]).<ref>{{cite news |title=Orwell in the Evening Standard |url=https://orwellsociety.com/orwell-in-the-evening-standard/ |access-date=27 June 2022 |work=Orwell Society}}</ref> The [[Evacuations of civilians in Britain during World War II|evacuation of children from London]] during the Second World War is depicted in [[C. S. Lewis]]' first [[Narnia]] book, ''[[The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe]]'' (1950). On Christmas Eve 1925, [[Winnie-the-Pooh]] debuted in London's ''[[The Evening News (London newspaper)|Evening News]]'', with the character based on a stuffed toy [[A. A. Milne]] bought for his son [[Christopher Robin Milne|Christopher Robin]] in Harrods.<ref>{{cite news |title=Winnie-the-Pooh goes to Harrods in new authorised AA Milne prequel |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/jul/23/winnie-the-pooh-goes-to-harrods-in-new-authorised-aa-milne-prequel |access-date=23 April 2023 |work=The Guardian}}</ref> In 1958 the author [[Michael Bond]] created [[Paddington Bear]], a refugee found in [[London Paddington station|Paddington station]]. A screen adaptation, ''[[Paddington (film)|Paddington]]'' (2014), features the calypso song "[[London is the Place for Me]]".<ref>{{cite web|website=Paddington.com|url=http://www.paddington.com/global/about/timeline/|title=About|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817131744/http://paddington.com/global/about/timeline/|archive-date=17 August 2016}}</ref> Buckingham Palace features in [[Roald Dahl]]'s 1982 novel ''[[The BFG]]''.<ref>{{cite news |title=Quentin Blake's unpublished illustrations of The BFG - in pictures |url=https://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/gallery/2016/jun/24/the-bfg-quentin-blake-roald-dahl |access-date=27 July 2024 |work=The Guardian}}</ref>
{{wikisource|Calendar of the London Seasons/Calendar of the London Seasons|'Calendar of the London Seasons', by L. E. L.}}

[[File:London July 2010 (4818942309).jpg|thumb|Opened in 1937, the [[Odeon Luxe Leicester Square|Odeon cinema]] in [[Leicester Square]] hosts numerous European and world film premieres.]]

London has played a significant role in the film industry. Major studios within or bordering London include [[Pinewood Studios|Pinewood]], [[Elstree Studios|Elstree]], [[Ealing Studios|Ealing]], [[Shepperton Studios|Shepperton]], [[Twickenham Studios|Twickenham]], and [[Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden|Leavesden]], with the ''[[James Bond]]'' and ''[[Harry Potter (film series)|Harry Potter]]'' series among many notable films produced here.<ref>{{cite news |title=The Harry Potter economy |url=https://www.economist.com/christmas-specials/2009/12/17/the-harry-potter-economy |access-date=8 July 2022 |newspaper=The Economist}}</ref><ref name="filmlondon">{{Cite web |url=http://filmlondon.org.uk/studio-contacts |title=Film London – studio contacts |website=Filmlondon.org.uk |access-date=27 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170810011712/http://filmlondon.org.uk/studio-contacts |archive-date=10 August 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Working Title Films]] has its headquarters in London. A [[post-production]] community is centred in [[Soho]], and London houses six of the world's largest [[visual effects]] companies, such as [[Framestore]].<ref>{{cite news |title=The UK's VFX Industry: In Profile|url=https://www.ukscreenalliance.co.uk/subpages/the-uks-vfx-industry-in-profile/ |access-date=7 July 2022 |work=UK Screen Alliance}}</ref> [[The Imaginarium]], a digital [[performance-capture]] studio, was founded by [[Andy Serkis]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Who We Are |url=http://www.theimaginariumstudios.com/who-we-are |website=The Imaginarium Studios |access-date=5 October 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121031092554/http://www.theimaginariumstudios.com/who-we-are |archive-date=31 October 2012}}</ref> London has been the setting for films including ''[[Oliver Twist (1948 film)|Oliver Twist]]'' (1948), ''[[Scrooge (1951 film)|Scrooge]]'' (1951), ''[[Peter Pan (1953 film)|Peter Pan]]'' (1953), ''[[One Hundred and One Dalmatians]]'' (1961), ''[[My Fair Lady (film)|My Fair Lady]]'' (1964), ''[[Mary Poppins (film)|Mary Poppins]]'' (1964), ''[[Blowup]]'' (1966), ''[[A Clockwork Orange (film)|A Clockwork Orange]]'' (1971), ''[[The Long Good Friday]]'' (1980), ''[[The Great Mouse Detective]]'' (1986), ''[[Notting Hill (film)|Notting Hill]]'' (1999), ''[[28 Days Later]]'' (2002), ''[[Love Actually]]'' (2003), ''[[V for Vendetta (film)|V for Vendetta]]'' (2005), ''[[Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street]]'' (2008) and ''[[The King's Speech]]'' (2010). Notable actors and filmmakers from London include [[Charlie Chaplin]], [[Alfred Hitchcock]], [[Michael Caine]], [[Julie Andrews]], [[Peter Sellers]], [[David Lean]], [[Julie Christie]], [[Gary Oldman]], [[Emma Thompson]], [[Guy Ritchie]], [[Christopher Nolan]], [[Alan Rickman]], [[Jude Law]], [[Helena Bonham Carter]], [[Idris Elba]], [[Tom Hardy]], [[Daniel Radcliffe]], [[Keira Knightley]], [[Riz Ahmed]], [[Dev Patel]], [[Daniel Kaluuya]], [[Tom Holland]] and [[Daniel Day-Lewis]]. Post-war [[Ealing comedies]] featured [[Alec Guinness]], from the 1950s [[Hammer Film Productions|Hammer Horror]]s starred [[Christopher Lee]], films directed by [[Michael Powell]] included the London-set early [[Slasher film|slasher]] ''[[Peeping Tom (1960 film)|Peeping Tom]]'' (1960), the 1970s comedy troupe [[Monty Python]] had film editing suites in Covent Garden, while since the 1990s [[Richard Curtis]]'s [[romantic comedies]] have featured [[Hugh Grant]]. The largest cinema chain in the country, [[Odeon Cinemas]], was founded in London in 1928 by [[Oscar Deutsch]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Feature: The legacy of Oscar Deutsch's cinemas|url=https://www.theguardian.com/arts/critic/feature/0,1169,717532,00.html|work=The Guardian|access-date=8 July 2022}}</ref> The [[BFI IMAX]] on the [[South Bank]] is the largest cinema screen in the UK.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/news/bfi-imax-operated-bfi | title=The UK's biggest screen, BFI IMAX, to be operated by the BFI | date=13 June 2022 | publisher=BFI |access-date=28 July 2024 }}</ref> The [[British Academy Film Awards]] (BAFTAs) have been held in London since 1949, with the [[BAFTA Fellowship]] the Academy's highest accolade.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://heritage.bafta.org/moment/1971/the-fellowship-baftas-top-prize/60 |publisher=BAFTA |access-date=19 June 2023 |title=The Fellowship: BAFTA's top prize |archive-date=13 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190513071405/https://heritage.bafta.org/moment/1971/the-fellowship-baftas-top-prize/60 |url-status=live}}</ref> Founded in 1957, the [[BFI London Film Festival]] takes place over two weeks every October.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|url=https://variety.com/2020/film/global/kate-winslet-saoirse-ronan-london-film-festival-1234748238/|title=Saoirse Ronan, Kate Winslet Drama 'Ammonite' to Close BFI London Film Festival|date=26 August 2020|access-date=8 July 2022}}</ref>

London is a major centre for television production, with studios including [[Television Centre, London|Television Centre]], [[ITV Studios]], [[Sky Campus]] and [[Fountain Studios]]; the latter hosted the original talent shows, ''[[Pop Idol]]'', ''[[The X Factor (British TV series)|The X Factor]]'' and ''[[Britain's Got Talent]]'' (the latter two created by the television personality [[Simon Cowell]], who starred as a judge in all three shows), before each format was exported around the world.<ref>{{cite news |title=The scribbled note that changed TV |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2009/oct/26/x-factor-cowell-fuller |access-date=4 October 2019 |newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://variety.com/2015/tv/spotlight/itv-simon-cowell-talks-strong-ties-with-brit-broadcaster-1201467913/|title=ITV: Simon Cowell Talks Strong Ties With Brit Broadcaster|publisher=Variety|date=7 April 2015}}</ref> Formerly a franchise of ITV, [[Thames Television]] featured comedians such as [[Benny Hill]] and [[Rowan Atkinson]] (''[[Mr. Bean]]'' was first screened by Thames), while [[Talkback (production company)|Talkback]] produced ''[[Da Ali G Show]]'', which featured [[Sacha Baron Cohen]] as [[Ali G]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Da Ali G Show (TV Series) |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/programme/b-zteorv/da-ali-g-show/ |access-date=8 July 2022 |work=Radio Times}}</ref> Many television shows have been set in London, including the popular television soap opera ''[[EastEnders]]''.<ref>{{cite news |title=EastEnders Episode 1, 19/02/1985|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b053l8b7 |access-date=28 June 2023|agency=BBC}}</ref>

===Museums, art galleries and libraries===
[[File:Kensington Museums aerial 2011 b.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Aerial view of [[Albertopolis]]. The [[Albert Memorial]], [[Royal Albert Hall]], [[Royal Geographical Society]], and [[Royal College of Art]] are visible near the top; [[Victoria and Albert Museum]] and [[Natural History Museum, London|Natural History Museum]] at the lower end; [[Imperial College London|Imperial College]], [[Royal College of Music]], and [[Science Museum, London|Science Museum]] lying in between.]]

London is [[List of museums in London|home to many museums]], galleries, and other institutions, many of which are free of admission charges and are major [[tourist attraction]]s as well as playing a research role. The first of these to be established was the [[British Museum]] in [[Bloomsbury]], in 1753.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Life and Curiosity of Hans Sloane|url=https://www.bl.uk/events/the-life-and-curiosity-of-hans-sloane|access-date=27 March 2021|website=The British Library|archive-date=19 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181119150309/https://www.bl.uk/events/the-life-and-curiosity-of-hans-sloane|url-status=dead}}</ref> Originally containing antiquities, natural history specimens, and the national library, the museum now has 7&nbsp;million artefacts from around the globe. In 1824 the [[National Gallery]] was founded to house the British national collection of Western paintings; this now occupies a prominent position in [[Trafalgar Square]].<ref>{{citation |last= Liscombe |first= R. W.|year= 1980|title= William Wilkins, 1778–1839 |place= Cambridge |publisher= Cambridge University Press|pages=180–82 }}</ref>

The [[British Library]] is the [[List of largest libraries|second largest library]] in the world, and the [[national library]] of the United Kingdom.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sen Nag |first=Oishimaya |date=5 March 2018 |title=The Largest Libraries In The World |url=https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/5-largest-libraries-in-the-world.html |access-date=30 March 2021 |website=World Atlas |language=en-US}}</ref> There are many other research libraries, including the [[Wellcome Library]] and [[Dana Library and Research Centre|Dana Centre]], as well as [[academic library|university libraries]], including the [[British Library of Political and Economic Science]] at [[London School of Economics|LSE]], the [[Imperial College London Abdus Salam Library|Abdus Salam Library]] at [[Imperial College London|Imperial]], the [[Maughan Library]] at [[King's College London|King's]], and the [[Senate House Libraries]] at the [[University of London]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bayley |first=Sian |date=21 February 2019 |title=Best libraries in London: The V&A, British Library, Wellcome Trust, BFI and more |work=Evening Standard |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/futurelondon/culturecity/best-libraries-in-london-wellcome-trust-british-library-canada-water-victoria-and-albert-guildhall-a4072696.html |access-date=26 March 2021}}</ref>

In the latter half of the 19th century the locale of [[South Kensington]] was developed as "[[Albertopolis]]", a cultural and scientific quarter. Three major national museums are there: the [[Victoria and Albert Museum]], the [[Natural History Museum, London|Natural History Museum]] and the [[London Science Museum|Science Museum]]. The [[National Portrait Gallery, London|National Portrait Gallery]] was founded in 1856 to house depictions of figures from British history; its holdings now comprise the world's most extensive collection of portraits.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cullinan (Director) |first=Nicholas |title=Organisation – National Portrait Gallery |url=http://www.npg.org.uk/about/organisation.php |access-date=26 March 2021 |website=National Portrait Gallery}}</ref> The national gallery of British art is at [[Tate Britain]], originally established as an annexe of the National Gallery in 1897. The Tate Gallery, as it was formerly known, also became a major centre for modern art. In 2000 this collection moved to [[Tate Modern]], a new gallery housed in the former [[Bankside Power Station]] which is accessed by pedestrians north of the Thames via the [[Millennium Bridge, London|Millennium Bridge]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Millennium Bridge |url=https://www.visitlondon.com/things-to-do/place/442404-millennium-bridge |access-date=27 July 2022 |work=Visit London}}</ref>

===Music===
[[File:Royal Albert Hall.001 - London.JPG|The [[Royal Albert Hall]] in [[South Kensington]] hosts concerts and musical events, including the classical music festival [[BBC Proms|The Proms]] which are held every summer, as well as cinema screenings of films accompanied with live orchestral music.|thumb]]
London is one of the major classical and [[popular music]] capitals of the world and hosts major music corporations, such as [[Universal Music Group|Universal Music Group International]] and [[Warner Music Group]], and countless bands, musicians and industry professionals. The city is also home to many orchestras and concert halls, such as the [[Barbican Arts Centre]] (principal base of the [[London Symphony Orchestra]] and the [[London Symphony Chorus]]), the [[Southbank Centre]] ([[London Philharmonic Orchestra]] and the [[Philharmonia Orchestra]]), [[Cadogan Hall]] ([[Royal Philharmonic Orchestra]]) and the [[Royal Albert Hall]] ([[The Proms]]).<ref name="London's Concerts"/> The Proms, an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music first held in 1895, ends with the [[BBC Proms#Last Night of the Proms|Last Night of the Proms]]. London's two main opera houses are the [[Royal Opera House]] and the [[London Coliseum]] (home to the [[English National Opera]]).<ref name="London's Concerts"/> The UK's largest [[pipe organ]] is at the Royal Albert Hall. Other significant instruments are in cathedrals and major churches, the church bells of [[St Clement Danes]] feature in the 1744 [[nursery rhyme]] "[[Oranges and Lemons]]".<ref>{{cite book |title=The Layman's Magazine of the Living Church, Issues 1–20 |date=1940 |publisher=Morehouse-Gorham |page=5}}</ref> Several [[conservatoire]]s are within the city: [[Royal Academy of Music]], [[Royal College of Music]], [[Guildhall School of Music and Drama]], and [[Trinity College of Music|Trinity Laban]]. The record label [[EMI]] was formed in the city in 1931, and an early employee for the company, [[Alan Blumlein]], created [[stereo sound]] that year.<ref>{{cite news|title=Early stereo recordings restored|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7537782.stm|work=[[BBC]]|access-date=28 March 2023|date=1 August 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080807025132/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7537782.stm|archive-date=7 August 2008 | url-status=live}}</ref> The guitar amp engineer [[Jim Marshall (businessman)|Jim Marshall]] founded [[Marshall Amplification]] in London in 1962.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-17625335|title=Guitar amp pioneer Jim Marshall dies aged 88 |date=5 April 2012|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=28 May 2024}}</ref>

[[File:Abbey Rd Studios.jpg|thumb|left|[[Abbey Road Studios]] in [[Abbey Road, London|Abbey Road]]]]
London has numerous venues for rock and pop concerts, including the world's busiest indoor venue, [[The O2 Arena|the O<sub>2</sub> Arena]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=2015 Year End Worldwide Ticket Sales – Top 200 Area Venues |url=http://www.pollstarpro.com/files/charts2015/2015YearEndWorldwideTicketSalesTop200ArenaVenues.pdf |url-status=dead|archive-url=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20160517203229/http://www.pollstarpro.com/files/charts2015/2015YearEndWorldwideTicketSalesTop200ArenaVenues.pdf |archive-date=17 May 2016 |access-date=26 March 2021}}</ref> and [[Wembley Arena]], as well as many mid-sized venues, such as [[Brixton Academy]], the [[Hammersmith Apollo]] and the [[Shepherd's Bush Empire]].<ref name="London's Concerts"/> Several [[music festivals]], including the [[Wireless Festival]], [[Lovebox Festival|Lovebox]], and [[Hyde Park, London|Hyde Park]]'s [[British Summer Time (concerts)|British Summer Time]], are held in London.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Keens |first1=Oliver |last2=Levine |first2=Nick |date=11 March 2021 |title=The best music festivals in London 2021 |url=https://www.timeout.com/london/music-festivals/the-best-music-festivals-in-london?package_page=48331 |access-date=26 March 2021 |work=Time Out London}}</ref>

The city is home to the original [[Hard Rock Cafe]] and the [[Abbey Road Studios]], where [[the Beatles]] recorded many of their hits. In the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, musicians and groups like [[Elton John]], [[Pink Floyd]], [[David Bowie]], [[the Rolling Stones]], [[Queen (band)|Queen]], [[Eric Clapton]], [[the Who]], [[the Kinks]], [[Cliff Richard]], [[Led Zeppelin]], [[Iron Maiden]], [[Deep Purple]], [[T. Rex (band)|T. Rex]], [[the Police]], [[Elvis Costello]], [[Dire Straits]], [[Cat Stevens]], [[Fleetwood Mac]], [[the Cure]], [[Madness (band)|Madness]], [[the Jam]], [[Culture Club]], [[Dusty Springfield]], [[Phil Collins]], [[Rod Stewart]], [[Status Quo (band)|Status Quo]] and [[Sade (band)|Sade]], derived their sound from the streets and rhythms of London.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Tow |first1=Stephen |title=London, Reign Over Me How England's Capital Built Classic Rock|date=2020 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield Publishers}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2006/04/06/garycrowley_londontop40_feature.shtml |title=London's top 40 artists |date=6 April 2006 |publisher=BBC |access-date=9 September 2008 |isbn=978-0-89820-135-2}}</ref>

London was instrumental in the development of [[punk music]], with groups such as the [[Sex Pistols]], [[the Clash]], and the fashion designer [[Vivienne Westwood]] based in the city.<ref>{{Cite web |date=10 November 2015 |title=PUNK – Paris Photo Special Feature |url=https://www.michaelhoppengallery.com/news/55/#:~:text=After%20a%20brief%20stint%20managing,the%20radical%20punk%20clothing%20style. |access-date=25 March 2021 |website=Michael Hoppen Gallery |language=en}}</ref> Other artists to emerge from the London music scene include [[George Michael]], [[Kate Bush]], [[Seal (musician)|Seal]], [[Siouxsie and the Banshees]], [[Bush (British band)|Bush]], the [[Spice Girls]], [[Jamiroquai]], [[Blur (band)|Blur]], [[the Prodigy]], [[Suede (band)|Suede]], [[Gorillaz]], [[Mumford & Sons]], [[Coldplay]], [[Dido (singer)|Dido]], [[Amy Winehouse]], [[Adele]], [[Sam Smith (singer)|Sam Smith]], [[Ed Sheeran]], [[Leona Lewis]], [[Ellie Goulding]], [[Dua Lipa]] and [[Florence and the Machine]].<ref name="Scene">{{Cite web |url=http://www.londonbc.co.uk/history-of-music-in-london.html |title=History of music in London |publisher=The London Music Scene |access-date=2 August 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110427023619/http://www.londonbc.co.uk/history-of-music-in-london.html |archive-date=27 April 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Artists from London played a prominent role in the development of [[synth-pop]], including [[Gary Numan]], [[Depeche Mode]], the [[Pet Shop Boys]] and [[Eurythmics]]; the latter's "[[Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)]]" was recorded in the attic of their north London home, heralding a trend for home recording methods.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rPdJDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA23 |page=23 |title=Dawn of the DAW: The Studio as Musical Instrument |last=Bell |first=Adam Patrick |date=2018 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=9780190296629}}</ref> Recent London-based alternative artists include [[Wolf Alice]], [[the Vaccines]], [[The xx]], [[Bloc Party]], [[The Libertines]] and [[Sleep Token]]. Artists from London with a Caribbean influence include [[Hot Chocolate]], [[Billy Ocean]], [[Soul II Soul]] and [[Eddy Grant]], with the latter fusing [[reggae]], soul and samba with rock and pop.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1983/08/02/eddy-grants-electric-rock-38/74a1753f-17b5-451b-b873-e1fd9f9237b0/|title=Eddy Grant's Electric Rock|author=Himes, Geoffrey|date=2 August 1983|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=19 March 2021}}</ref> London is also a centre for urban music. In particular the genres [[UK garage]], [[drum and bass]], [[dubstep]], and [[grime (music)|grime]] evolved in the city from the foreign genres of [[House music|house]], [[hip hop music|hip hop]] and reggae, alongside local [[drum and bass]]. Urban acts from London include [[Stormzy]], [[M.I.A. (rapper)|M.I.A.]], [[Jay Sean]], [[Rita Ora]] and [[Central Cee]]. Music station [[BBC Radio 1Xtra]] was set up to support the rise of local [[urban contemporary]] music both in London and in the rest of the United Kingdom. The [[British Phonographic Industry]]'s annual popular music awards, the [[Brit Awards]], are held in London.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.brits.co.uk/history/shows/1977|title=Brit Awards History|website=Brit Awards|language=en|access-date=28 December 2019|archive-date=26 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180826032516/http://www.brits.co.uk/history/shows/1977|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Recreation==
===Parks and open spaces===
{{main|Parks and open spaces in London|Royal Parks of London}}

{{see also|List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Greater London|List of local nature reserves in Greater London}}

[[File:Hyde Park London from the air.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|[[Hyde Park, London|Hyde Park]] (with [[Kensington Gardens]] in the foreground) has been a popular public space since it opened in 1637.]]
A 2013 report by the [[City of London Corporation]] said that London is the "greenest city" in Europe with 35,000 acres (14,164 hectares) of public parks, woodlands and gardens.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McGlone |first=Conor |date=9 July 2013 |title=London 'greenest city' in Europe |url=https://www.edie.net/news/6/London--greenest-city--in-Europe-/ |access-date=27 March 2021 |website=edie.net |language=en}}</ref> In 2019, London became the world's first National Park City, highlighting its dedication to preserving green spaces and nature. The city is home to nearly half of its area covered in green and blue spaces, featuring around 3,000 parks, over 8 million trees, and 150 nature reserves.<ref>{{Cite web |title=London National Park City {{!}} London City Hall |url=https://www.london.gov.uk/programmes-strategies/environment-and-climate-change/parks-green-spaces-and-biodiversity/london-national-park-city |access-date=18 August 2025|website=www.london.gov.uk }}</ref>

The largest parks in the [[Central London|central area of London]] are three of the eight [[Royal Parks of London|Royal Parks]], namely [[Hyde Park, London|Hyde Park]] and its neighbour [[Kensington Gardens]] in the west, and [[Regent's Park]] to the north.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/kensington_gardens/ |title=Kensington Gardens |year=2008 |publisher=The Royal Parks |access-date=26 April 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527231143/http://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/kensington_gardens/ |archive-date=27 May 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Hyde Park in particular is popular for [[#Sport|sports]] and sometimes hosts open-air concerts. Regent's Park contains [[London Zoo]], the world's oldest scientific zoo, and is near [[Madame Tussauds]] wax museum.<ref name="Tussauds">{{Cite web |title=Madame Tussauds, London |url=http://www.tourist-information-uk.com/madame-tussauds.htm |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110427094710/http://www.tourist-information-uk.com/madame-tussauds.htm |archive-date=27 April 2011 |access-date=26 March 2021 |publisher=Madame Tussauds}}</ref> [[Primrose Hill]] is a popular spot from which to view the city skyline.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mills |first=David |title=Dictionary of London Place Names |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |year=2001 |isbn=9780192801067 |oclc=45406491}}</ref> Close to Hyde Park are smaller Royal Parks, [[Green Park]] and [[St James's Park]].<ref>{{Cite web |year=2008 |title=Green Park |url=http://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/green_park/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090904010152/http://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/green_park/about.cfm|archive-date=4 September 2009 |access-date=26 March 2021 |publisher=The Royal Parks}}</ref> A number of large parks lie outside the city centre, including [[Hampstead Heath]] and the remaining Royal Parks of [[Greenwich Park]] to the southeast, and [[Bushy Park]] and [[Richmond Park]] (the largest) to the southwest. [[Hampton Court Park]] is also a royal park, but, because it contains a palace, it is administered by the [[Historic Royal Palaces]], unlike the eight [[Royal Parks of London|Royal Parks]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.richmond.gov.uk/home/services/leisure_and_culture/parks_and_open_spaces/park_details.htm?parkId=268 |title=Park details – Hampton Court |publisher=London Borough of Richmond upon Thames |access-date=26 August 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150826172424/http://www.richmond.gov.uk/home/services/leisure_and_culture/parks_and_open_spaces/park_details.htm?parkId=268 |archive-date=26 August 2015}}</ref> [[Crystal Palace Park]] in south-east London was laid out as a [[pleasure ground]], and, reflecting the public enthusiasm for dinosaurs that first developed in Victorian England, it contains the first-ever [[Crystal Palace Dinosaurs|life-sized models of dinosaurs]].<ref>{{cite news |title=How a Victorian Dinosaur Park Became a Time Capsule of Early Paleontology |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/how-a-victorian-dinosaur-park-became-a-time-capsule-of-early-paleontology-180982799/ |access-date=1 March 2025 |magazine=Smithsonian}}</ref>

Close to Richmond Park is [[Kew Gardens]], which has the world's largest collection of living plants. In 2003, the gardens were put on the [[United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization|UNESCO]] list of [[List of World Heritage Sites of the United Kingdom|World Heritage Sites]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.kew.org/ksheets/pdfs/k16kewhistory.pdf |title=Kew, History & Heritage |publisher=[[Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew]] |access-date=24 January 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080829192523/http://www.kew.org/ksheets/pdfs/k16kewhistory.pdf |archive-date=29 August 2008}}</ref> There are also parks administered by London's borough Councils, including [[Victoria Park, Tower Hamlets|Victoria Park]] in the [[East End]] and [[Battersea Park]] in the centre. Some more informal, semi-natural open spaces also exist, including [[Hampstead Heath]] and [[Epping Forest]],<ref name=Epping>{{Cite web |url=http://217.154.230.195/NR/rdonlyres/A3CB6563-4D0D-4C35-AC7F-818C28306E79/0/OS_EF_Dogs.pdf |title=Epping Forest You & Your Dog |website=brochure |publisher=City of London |access-date=13 March 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110704191340/http://217.154.230.195/NR/rdonlyres/A3CB6563-4D0D-4C35-AC7F-818C28306E79/0/OS_EF_Dogs.pdf |archive-date=4 July 2011}}</ref> both controlled by the [[City of London Corporation]].<ref>{{Cite web |author=Ramblers |url=http://www.ramblers.org.uk/info/parks/name/c/corporationoflondon.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081029232404/http://www.ramblers.org.uk/info/parks/name/c/corporationoflondon.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=29 October 2008 |title=Corporation of London Open Spaces |publisher=Ramblers |access-date=12 December 2011}}</ref> Hampstead Heath incorporates [[Kenwood House]], a former [[stately home]] and a popular location in the summer months when classical musical concerts are held by the lake.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.00100200800k00800f |title=Kenwood House |publisher=English Heritage |access-date=26 April 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100305202033/http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.00100200800k00800f |archive-date=5 March 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref> Epping Forest is a popular venue for various outdoor activities, including mountain biking, walking, horse riding, golf, angling, and orienteering.<ref name=Epping/> Three of the UK's most-visited theme parks, [[Thorpe Park]] near Staines-upon-Thames, [[Chessington World of Adventures]] in Chessington and [[Legoland Windsor Resort|Legoland Windsor]], are located within {{convert|20|mi}} of London.<ref>{{cite news |title=The best theme parks near London |url=https://www.timeout.com/london/things-to-do/best-theme-parks-in-and-around-london |access-date=5 January 2024 |work=Time Out}}</ref>

===Walking===
{{Main|Walking in London}}

{{See also|Walking in the United Kingdom}}[[File:Horse Ride, Wimbledon Common - geograph.org.uk - 692221.jpg|thumb|The Horse Ride is a [[tree tunnel]] (route overhung by trees) on the western side of [[Wimbledon Common]].]]
Walking is a popular recreational activity in London. Areas that provide for walks include [[Wimbledon Common]], [[Epping Forest]], [[Hampton Court Park]], [[Hampstead Heath]], the eight [[Royal Parks]], [[Regents Canal]] Walk, canals and disused railway tracks.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |url=http://www.innerlondonramblers.org.uk/ideasforwalks.html |title=Inner London Ramblers – Walk Ideas |first=Phil |last=Marson |website=innerlondonramblers.org.uk}}</ref> Access to canals and rivers has improved recently, including the creation of the [[Thames Path]], some {{convert|28|mi|km}} of which is within [[Greater London]], and the [[Wandle Trail]] along the [[River Wandle]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.sustrans.org.uk/ncn/map/route/wandle-trail |title=Wandle Trail – Map |website=Sustrans}}</ref>

Other [[long-distance path]]s, linking green spaces, have also been created, including the [[Capital Ring]], the [[Green Chain Walk]], [[London Outer Orbital Path]] ("Loop"), [[Jubilee Walkway]], [[Lea Valley Walk]] and the [[Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Walk]].<ref name=":0" />

==Sport==
{{main|Sport in London}}

{{see also|Football in London|Rugby union in London}}
{{multiple image
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| image1            = Wembley Stadium interior.jpg
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| caption1          = [[Wembley Stadium]], home of the England [[England national football team|men]] and [[England women's national football team|women's football team]] and the [[FA Cup Final]], has a seating capacity of 90,000. It is the UK's biggest stadium.<ref name=Wembley>{{Cite web |title=About Wembley Stadium – What we do at Wembley Stadium |url=https://www.wembleystadium.com/about/about-wembley-stadium |access-date=27 March 2021 |website=[[Wembley Stadium]] connected by EE |language=en |archive-date=26 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200326114025/http://www.wembleystadium.com/about/about-wembley-stadium |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| image2            = Centre Court Wimbledon 1.jpg
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| caption2          = [[Centre Court]] at [[The Championships, Wimbledon|Wimbledon]]. Held every June and July, Wimbledon is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, and the only major played on grass.
| image3            = Twickenham stadium - Cup finals day - geograph.org.uk - 2966637.jpg
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| caption3          = [[Twickenham Stadium|Twickenham]], home of the [[England national rugby union team]], has a capacity of 82,000 seats.
}}

London has hosted the [[Summer Olympic Games|Summer Olympics]] three times: in [[1908 Summer Olympics|1908]], [[1948 Summer Olympics|1948]], and [[2012 Summer Olympics|2012]], making it the first city to host the modern Games three times.<ref name=IOC/> The city was also the host of the [[Commonwealth Games|British Empire Games]] in [[1934 British Empire Games|1934]].<ref name="london_175">{{Cite web |date=28 April 2011 |title=England – Introduction |url=http://www.thecgf.com/countries/intro.asp?loc=ENG |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429043207/http://www.thecgf.com/countries/intro.asp?loc=ENG |archive-date=29 April 2011 |access-date=3 November 2008 |website=[[Commonwealth Games Federation]] }}</ref> In 2017, London hosted the [[2017 World Championships in Athletics|World Championships in Athletics]] for the first time.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Livingstone |first=Robert |date=11 November 2011 |title=London Defeats Doha to host 2017 International Athletics Championships |url=http://www.gamesbids.com/eng/other_news/1216135963.html |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111113180038/http://www.gamesbids.com/eng/other_news/1216135963.html |archive-date=13 November 2011 |access-date=13 December 2011 |website=Gamesbids.com }}</ref>

London's [[Sport in the United Kingdom#Popularity|most popular sport]] is [[association football]], and it has seven clubs in the [[Premier League]] in the [[2025–26 Premier League|2025–26 season]]: [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]], [[Brentford F.C.|Brentford]], [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]], [[Crystal Palace F.C.|Crystal Palace]], [[Fulham F.C.|Fulham]], [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham Hotspur]] and [[West Ham United F.C.|West Ham United]].<ref name="london_176">{{Cite web |title=Barclays Premier League Clubs |url=https://www.premierleague.com/clubs |access-date=29 March 2021 |publisher=[[Premier League]] |archive-date=3 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181203140113/https://www.premierleague.com/clubs/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Other professional men's teams in London are [[AFC Wimbledon]], [[Barnet F.C.|Barnet]], [[Bromley F.C.|Bromley]], [[Charlton Athletic F.C.|Charlton Athletic]], [[Dagenham & Redbridge F.C.|Dagenham & Redbridge]], [[Leyton Orient F.C.|Leyton Orient]], [[Millwall F.C.|Millwall]], [[Queens Park Rangers F.C.|Queens Park Rangers]] and [[Sutton United F.C.|Sutton United]]. Four London-based teams are in the [[Women's Super League]]: [[Arsenal W.F.C.|Arsenal]], [[Chelsea F.C. Women|Chelsea]], [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C. Women|Tottenham]] and [[West Ham United F.C. Women|West Ham United]].

Two [[Premiership Rugby]] union teams are based in Greater London: [[Harlequin F.C.|Harlequins]] and [[Saracens F.C.|Saracens]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.premiershiprugby.com/clubs/index.php |title=Premiership Rugby: Clubs |publisher=Premier Rugby |access-date=5 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110427075926/http://www.premiershiprugby.com/clubs/index.php |archive-date=27 April 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Ealing Trailfinders Rugby Club|Ealing Trailfinders]] and [[London Scottish F.C.|London Scottish]] play in the [[RFU Championship]]; other rugby union clubs in the city include [[Richmond F.C.|Richmond]], [[Rosslyn Park F.C.|Rosslyn Park]], [[Westcombe Park RFC|Westcombe Park]], and [[Blackheath F.C.|Blackheath]]. [[Twickenham Stadium]] in south-west London hosts home matches for the [[England national rugby union team]].<ref name="musiccap">{{Cite press release |publisher=Twickenham Rugby Stadium |title=RFU apply for two additional concerts at Twickenham Stadium in 2007 |url=http://www.rfu.com/microsites/twickenham/index.cfm?StoryID=14822 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080625050620/http://www.rfu.com/microsites/twickenham/index.cfm?StoryID=14822 |archive-date=25 June 2008 |date=3 October 2006 |url-status=dead}}</ref> While [[rugby league]] is more popular in the north of England, the sport has one professional club in London&nbsp;– the [[London Broncos]], while the [[Challenge Cup]] final often takes place in the city.<ref>{{cite news |title=Challenge Cup final heading to Tottenham in 2022 |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/wembley-daniel-levy-white-hart-lane-covid-castleford-b1901268.html |access-date=30 January 2025 |publisher=BBC}}</ref>

One of London's best-known annual sports competitions is the [[Wimbledon Championships|Wimbledon Tennis Championships]], held at the [[All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club|All England Club]] in the south-western suburb of [[Wimbledon, London|Wimbledon]] since 1877.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080423182334/http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/index.html |archive-date=23 April 2008 |title=Wimbledon&nbsp;— official website |publisher=The All England Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC) |access-date=29 April 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Played in late June to early July, it is the oldest tennis tournament in the world and widely considered the most prestigious.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Traditional Final: It's Nadal and Federer |work=The New York Times |date=7 May 2008 |first=Christopher |last=Clarey |quote=Federer said[:] 'I love playing with him, especially here at Wimbledon, the most prestigious tournament we have.' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/05/sports/tennis/05wimbledon.html |access-date=17 July 2008}}</ref><ref>{{Cite encyclopedia |editor=Will Kaufman & Heidi Slettedahl Macpherson |encyclopedia=Britain and the Americas |title=Tennis |year=2005 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |volume=1 : Culture, Politics, and History |isbn=978-1-85109-431-8 |page=958 |quote=this first tennis championship, which later evolved into the Wimbledon Tournament ... continues as the world's most prestigious event.}}</ref> Founded in London in 1881, [[Slazenger]] has provided tennis balls for Wimbledon since 1902, the oldest sponsorship in sport.<ref>{{cite news |title=Wimbledon: Official Partners |url=https://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/atoz/official_partners.html |access-date=6 January 2025 |website=Wimbledon.com}}</ref>

London has two [[Test cricket]] grounds which host the [[England cricket team]], [[Lord's]] (home of [[Middlesex County Cricket Club|Middlesex C.C.C.]]) and [[the Oval]] (home of [[Surrey County Cricket Club|Surrey C.C.C.]]). Lord's has hosted four finals of the [[Cricket World Cup]] and is known as the "Home of Cricket".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lord's (Cricket Grounds)|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/ground/57129.html |access-date=26 March 2021 |publisher=ESPNcricinfo}}</ref> In golf, the [[Wentworth Club]] is located in [[Virginia Water]], Surrey on the south-west fringes of London, while the closest venue to London that is used as one of the courses for [[the Open Championship]], the oldest major and tournament in golf, is [[Royal St George's Golf Club|Royal St George's]] in Sandwich, Kent.<ref>{{cite news |title=Royal St George's |url=https://www.theopen.com/venues/royal-st-georges |access-date=16 October 2023 |publisher=The Open}}</ref> The rules of modern boxing, the [[Queensberry Rules]], were formulated in London in 1867, and since then fights have taken place at [[York Hall]] (the spiritual home of British boxing), and larger arenas and stadiums across the city.<ref>{{cite news |title=Small Hall Spotlight: York Hall – a piece of living boxing history |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/62692572 |access-date=27 February 2025 |publisher=BBC}}</ref> [[Alexandra Palace]] in north London hosts the [[PDC World Darts Championship]] and the [[Masters (snooker)|Masters]] [[snooker]] tournament. Other key annual events are the mass-participation [[London Marathon]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.london-marathon.co.uk/site/ |title=Flora London Marathon 2008 |publisher=London Marathon Ltd |access-date=29 April 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080426224024/http://www.london-marathon.co.uk/site/ |archive-date=26 April 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> and the [[University Boat Race]] on the Thames contested between [[Oxford University Boat Club|Oxford]] and [[Cambridge University Boat Club|Cambridge]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.theboatrace.org/ |title=The Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race&nbsp;— Official Website |publisher=The Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race |access-date=29 April 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430162037/http://www.theboatrace.org/ |archive-date=30 April 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Notable people==
{{main|List of people from London}}

==See also==
{{portal|London|Cities|England|United Kingdom}}
*[[Outline of England]]
*[[Outline of London]]{{Clear}}

==Notes==
{{Notelist|30em}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

===Bibliography===
*{{Cite book |last=Ackroyd |first=Peter |title=London: The Biography |publisher=Vintage |location=London |year=2001 |isbn=978-0-09-942258-7 |title-link=London: The Biography }}
*{{Cite book |last=Mills |first=David |title=Dictionary of London Place Names |publisher=Oxford Paperbacks |year=2001 |isbn=978-0-19-280106-7 |oclc=45406491 }}

==External links==
{{sister project links|auto=yes}}
*[http://www.visitlondon.com/ VisitLondon.com]&nbsp;– official tourism site
*[http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/ Museum of London]
*[http://www.british-history.ac.uk/place.aspx?region=1 London] in ''[[British History Online]]'', with links to numerous authoritative online sources
*[https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00546w3 "London"], ''In Our Time'', BBC Radio 4 discussion with Peter Ackroyd, Claire Tomalin and Iain Sinclair (28 September 2000)
*{{OSM relation|175342}}

{{London history}}
{{London landmarks}}
{{Areas of London}}
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[[Category:London| ]]
[[Category:British capitals]]
[[Category:Capitals in Europe]]
[[Category:Greater London]]
[[Category:Port cities and towns in Southern England]]
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[[Category:1st-century establishments in Roman Britain]]
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