Preston: 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.
Preston is a city of 313,332 people in United Kingdom (England), 34 m (112 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LPL), 49 km (30 mi) from the centre.
Key facts
Daylight in Preston runs from about 7 h 30 min a day in late December to 17 h 10 min in late June (computed for 53.76° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Preston is served by 3 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LPL), 49 km (30 mi) from the centre, with a longest runway of 7,497 ft, which limits it to short and medium-haul aircraft. The alternatives are Manchester Airport (MAN, 54 km), Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA, 69 km).
Flights to Preston: every airport, routes and times
Buses to Preston · Driving and car hire
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- London, 305 km — flights · buses · car rental
- Birmingham, 152 km — flights · tours
- Dublin, 239 km (Ireland) — flights · buses · car rental · tours
- Glasgow, 254 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Manchester, 44 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Sheffield, 92 km — tours
- Leeds, 76 km — buses · tours
- Edinburgh, 245 km — buses · car rental
- Liverpool, 43 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Bristol, 257 km
Twin towns and sister cities: Kalisz, Recklinghausen, Nîmes, Almelo.
Common questions
Which airport serves Preston?
Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LPL), 49 km (30 mi) from the centre, plus 2 other airports with scheduled flights within 100 km.
How big is Preston?
About 313,332 people live in Preston, across 142 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).
What time zone is Preston in?
Europe/London, currently UTC+1.
What currency is used in Preston?
The Pound (GBP). Traffic drives on the left.
Which cities are near Preston?
London (305 km), Birmingham (152 km), Dublin (239 km), Glasgow (254 km), Manchester (44 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 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel 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.