Watford: 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.
Watford is a city of 125,707 people in United Kingdom (England), 77 m (253 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is London Heathrow Airport (LHR), 21 km (13 mi) from the centre. It has 3 railway stations on record, including Watford Junction railway station.
Key facts
Daylight in Watford runs from about 7 h 52 min a day in late December to 16 h 45 min in late June (computed for 51.66° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Watford is served by 6 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is London Heathrow Airport (LHR), 21 km (13 mi) from the centre, whose 12,799-ft runway is long enough for long-haul wide-body aircraft. The alternatives are London Luton Airport (LTN, 24 km), London Stansted Airport (STN, 50 km), London Gatwick Airport (LGW, 58 km), London City Airport (LCY, 35 km), London Southend Airport (SEN, 76 km).
Flights to Watford: every airport, routes and times
By rail: stations on record include Watford Junction railway station, Cassiobridge tube station, Watford railway station. Trains to Watford
Buses to Watford · Driving and car hire
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- London, 25 km — tours
- Paris, 368 km (France) — flights · trains · buses · car rental
- Birmingham, 138 km — tours
- Brussels, 342 km (Belgium) — flights
- Rotterdam, 337 km (The Netherlands) — flights
- Amsterdam, 370 km (The Netherlands)
- Manchester, 238 km — tours
- Sheffield, 205 km — tours
- Leeds, 250 km — tours
- Antwerp, 336 km (Belgium)
Twin towns and sister cities: Mainz, Nanterre, Wilmington, Pesaro.
Common questions
Which airport serves Watford?
London Heathrow Airport (LHR), 21 km (13 mi) from the centre, plus 5 other airports with scheduled flights within 100 km.
How big is Watford?
About 125,707 people live in Watford, across 21 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).
What time zone is Watford in?
Europe/London, currently UTC+1.
What currency is used in Watford?
The Pound (GBP). Traffic drives on the left.
Which cities are near Watford?
London (25 km), Paris (368 km), Birmingham (138 km), Brussels (342 km), Rotterdam (337 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.