Quick answerLondon is the capital and largest city of the United Kingdom, with 9,122,909 people inside the city limits in 2025. The wider metropolitan area had about 15.4 million people in 2025. It is best known for the Tower of London and the Westminster and Big Ben. Its official language is English, and its currency is the Pound sterling.
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with 9,122,909 residents in 2025 and about 15.4 million in its metropolitan area. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England. The city is a world centre of finance, culture, education and tourism.
Key facts
| Country | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Population (city) | 9,122,909 (2025) |
| Population (metro) | 15,400,000 (2025) · London metropolitan area, 2026 (City Population / Thomas Brinkhoff) |
| Time zone | Europe/London |
| Language | English |
| Currency | Pound sterling (GBP, £) |
| Coordinates | 51.5072° N, 0.1275° W |
Overview
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England, at the head of a tidal estuary that runs down to the North Sea. The city began as Londinium, founded by the Romans around AD 47, and it has been a major settlement for nearly 2,000 years. It grew into the world's largest city in the 19th century, as capital of the British Empire, and remains one of the world's leading global cities.
About 9.1 million people lived in London in 2025, and about 15.4 million in its metropolitan area, the largest in Western Europe. The Greater London Authority, led by a mayor, governs the city with its 33 local authorities. London is the seat of the UK Parliament and government at Westminster, and it is home to the Bank of England and the City of London, one of the world's great financial centres.
London's best-known sights are the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, St Paul's Cathedral and the British Museum. The West End's theatres, the markets of Camden and Borough, and the parks — Hyde Park, Regent's Park and Hampstead Heath — draw millions of visitors. The London Underground, opened in 1863, was the world's first underground railway, and it still carries millions of passengers every day.
What London is known for
- Tower of London
- Westminster and Big Ben
- British Museum
- West End theatre
- River Thames
- Financial centre (City of London)
Landmarks
- Tower of London
- Houses of Parliament and Big Ben
- Buckingham Palace
- British Museum
- London Eye
- St Paul's Cathedral
- Tower Bridge
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of London?
London had 9,122,909 residents in 2025, according to the Office for National Statistics, making it the largest city in the United Kingdom. Its wider metropolitan area had about 15.4 million people in 2026, the largest in Western Europe. About 13 in every 100 people in the UK live in London.
What is London famous for?
London is famous for the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, and the British Museum. It is also known as a world financial centre, for the West End theatres, and for its parks, markets and museums, most of which are free. The River Thames runs through the city, crossed by Tower Bridge.
Where is London located?
London is in south-east England, on the River Thames, about 80 kilometres from the North Sea. It is about 160 kilometres south-east of Birmingham and about 530 kilometres south of Edinburgh. Its coordinates are 51.51° N, 0.13° W, and its time zone is Greenwich Mean Time, or British Summer Time in summer.
Quick quiz
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Keep exploring
- United Kingdom — the country London is in
- Birmingham — another city in the United Kingdom
- Manchester — another city in the United Kingdom
- Edinburgh — another city in the United Kingdom
- Charles Darwin — English science figure
- Isaac Newton — English science figure
- All cities in the United Kingdom
- All countries — the full list
Sources & last updated
- Wikipedia — London
- Office for National Statistics, via Wikipedia — London
- City Population — Major agglomerations of the world
Last updated: . Figures are shown with their year; where sources disagree, the value is left out rather than estimated.