London metropolitan area | |
|---|---|
.jpeg) Skyline ofCentral London | |
 Map of the London area, with the metropolitan area as defined by the London Travel to Work Area highlighted in red | |
| Sovereign state |  United Kingdom |
| Country |  England |
| Area | |
| • Metro | 3,443 sq mi (8,917 km2) |
| Population (2025) | |
| • Metro | 15,100,000[1] |
| • Metro density | 4,300/sq mi (1,660/km2) |
| GDP | |
| • Metro | US$978 billion (nominal) US$1.064 trillion (PPP) |
TheLondon metropolitan area is themetropolitan area ofLondon, England. It has several definitions, including the LondonTravel to Work Area, and usually consists of the Londonurban area, settlements that share London's infrastructure, and places from which it is practicable to commute to work in London. It is also known as theLondon commuter belt,[3] orSoutheast metropolitan area.[4]
The boundaries are not fixed; they expand as transport options improve and affordable housing moves further away from the city centre.[5] The belt currently covers much of theSouth East region and part of theEast of England region, including thehome counties ofHertfordshire,Buckinghamshire,Berkshire,Surrey,Kent andEssex, and, by several definitions,Hampshire,West Sussex,East Sussex,Bedfordshire.
The resident population ofGreater London and those counties (partly) within theMetropolitan Green Belt was 18,868,800in 2011. Much of the undeveloped part of this area lies within the designated belt, which, save as to existing buildings, yards and gardens, covers nearly all ofSurrey, easternBerkshire, southernBuckinghamshire, southern and midHertfordshire, southernBedfordshire, south-westEssex, and north-westernKent. Largely in these counties, threeAreas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (the Chiltern Hills, Surrey Hills and North Downs AONBs) surrounding the Thames basin are within the commuter belt.
The Londontravel to work area, defined by theOffice for National Statistics as the area for which "of the resident economically active population, at least 75% actually work in the area, and also, that of everyone working in the area, at least 75% actually live in the area."[6] has a population of 9,294,800 (2005 estimate).[7]
This TTWA excludes some parts of Greater London such as Uxbridge, Hounslow and Kingston which form part of theHeathrow TTWA. Conversely it includes areas beyond Greater London such as Rickmansworth, Broxbourne, Grays, Dartford, Gravesend and Epsom.
There are 17 local government districts that share a boundary with Greater London, in the East and South East regions. Most districts are entirely, or have sections, within theM25 motorway or are within 15–20 miles (24–32 km) ofCharing Cross.
Adjacent districts often share characteristics ofOuter London, such as forming part of the continuousurban sprawl, being served by theLondon Underground, being covered by theLondon telephone area code, (until 2000) forming part of theMetropolitan Police District and having a relatively high employed population working in London.
Larger Urban Zone is a definition created in 2004 byEurostat that measures the population and expanse of metropolitan areas across European countries. Based on the2001 census, the population of London's Larger Urban Zone was 11.9 million,[8] ranking it as the most populous metropolitan area in theEuropean Union until Brexit. The districts that are considered parts of this Larger Urban Zone are listed here:[9] (no district inBedfordshire, Hampshire, orSussex is included). Several large conurbations fall just outside the zone: Including theReading built-up area, theLuton/Dunstable urban area, theHigh Wycombe built-up area and significant parts of theAldershot andCrawley Urban Areas.
| Region | County | Districts within the Zone | Districts outside the Zone | Area (km2) | Population[10] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East | Hertfordshire | North Hertfordshire | 1,267.6 | 1,067,049 | |
| Essex | 2,387.5 | 1,335,684 | |||
| South East | Kent | 1,698.4 | 1,055,194 | ||
| Surrey | 1,317.8 | 1,061,056 | |||
| Berkshire | 339.4 | 512,535 | |||
| Buckinghamshire | 337.6 | 165,970 |
The following table lists urban areas (also known as built-up areas) considered part of the London Commuter Belt with populations over 20,000.[11][12] The commuter belt contains all urban areas within an approximate 40 mile (64 km) radius of Charing Cross. Some of the outermost towns includeAylesbury,Reading,Aldershot andMaidstone.[13][14][15]
Some estate agents, including James Pendleton[17] and Savills,[18] have defined a 'second commuter belt' further away from London. The definition includes places up to approximately 55 miles (89 km) from central London, includingBedford,Brighton,Cambridge,Hastings,Margate,Milton Keynes andOxford.
