Croydon: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Croydon is a city of 173,314 people in United Kingdom (England), 54 m (177 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is London Gatwick Airport (LGW), 27 km (17 mi) from the centre.
Key facts
Daylight in Croydon runs from about 7 h 55 min a day in late December to 16 h 41 min in late June (computed for 51.38° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Croydon is served by 6 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is London Gatwick Airport (LGW), 27 km (17 mi) from the centre, whose 10,883-ft runway is long enough for long-haul wide-body aircraft. The alternatives are London Heathrow Airport (LHR, 27 km), London Luton Airport (LTN, 58 km), London Stansted Airport (STN, 60 km), London City Airport (LCY, 17 km), London Southend Airport (SEN, 59 km).
Flights to Croydon: every airport, routes and times
Buses to Croydon · Driving and car hire
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- London, 14 km
- Paris, 331 km (France) — flights · buses · car rental
- Birmingham, 174 km — flights · tours
- Brussels, 316 km (Belgium) — flights
- Rotterdam, 321 km (The Netherlands) — flights
- Amsterdam, 360 km (The Netherlands)
- Manchester, 275 km — tours
- Sheffield, 241 km — tours
- Leeds, 286 km — tours
- Antwerp, 313 km (Belgium)
Twin towns and sister cities: Arnhem, City of Maroondah.
Common questions
Which airport serves Croydon?
London Gatwick Airport (LGW), 27 km (17 mi) from the centre, plus 5 other airports with scheduled flights within 100 km.
How big is Croydon?
About 173,314 people live in Croydon (GeoNames).
What time zone is Croydon in?
Europe/London, currently UTC+1.
What currency is used in Croydon?
The Pound (GBP). Traffic drives on the left.
Which cities are near Croydon?
London (14 km), Paris (331 km), Birmingham (174 km), Brussels (316 km), Rotterdam (321 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 13 September 2026. Hotel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.