Croydon
§ This page gives an overview of the Croydon local authority district, bringing together key facts, maps, and data to help you quickly understand the area. This is one of 361 LAD profiles on Baseview.
Overview ⁞ Croydon is a large and economically important borough in South London, known for its modern business district, retail centres, and transport links. It is undergoing major redevelopment, with a growing arts scene and cultural quarter.
Croydon Boundary Map
This map shows the official boundary of the Croydon local authority district, based on the latest geographic data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). It provides a clear view of the district’s extent and helps you understand how the area fits within the wider regional and national landscape.
Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2025. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
The administrative boundary of Croydon can also be viewed on OpenStreetMap: District Boundary of Croydon.
Key Facts about Croydon
What region is Croydon in? Croydon is in the Greater London, an administrative region and a ceremonial county in England.
Is Croydon a city? No, Croydon is not a city. (Note: the UK has 76 officially designated cities.)
Who governs Croydon? The local government for this district is: The London Borough of Croydon (London Borough).
▶ Official website of The London Borough of Croydon 🔗 croydon.gov.uk
Which police force covers Croydon? Policing in Croydon is provided by Metropolitan Police Service 🔗 met.police.uk, which serves 32 London Boroughs.
Croydon in International Geographies
In the International Territorial Levels (ITLs) hierarchy, Croydon is an ITLs Level 3 area:
- (ITL 1) London
- (ITL 2) ⇒ Outer London - South
- (ITL 3) ⇒⇒ Croydon
The International Territorial Levels are used by OECD member countries for statistical purposes to classify administrative areas. We have this listable page for easy browsing of ITL names and codes: International Territorial Levels.
Constituencies in Croydon
Croydon is divided into 4 parliamentary constituencies, listed below in alphabetical order.
A constituency is a specific geographical area that elects one Member of Parliament (MP) to represent them in the House of Commons. The United Kingdom is divided into 650 parliamentary constituencies, 75 of them are in Greater London (covering 32 London boroughs). We have this list page for easy browsing of all UK parliamentary constituencies: List of Constituencies.
Wards in Croydon
Croydon is divided into 28 wards, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Addiscombe East
- Addiscombe West
- Bensham Manor
- Broad Green
- Coulsdon Town
- Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood
- Fairfield
- Kenley
- New Addington North
- New Addington South
- Norbury & Pollards Hill
- Norbury Park
- Old Coulsdon
- Park Hill & Whitgift
- Purley & Woodcote
- Purley Oaks & Riddlesdown
- Sanderstead
- Selhurst
- Selsdon & Addington Village
- Selsdon Vale & Forestdale
- Shirley North
- Shirley South
- South Croydon
- South Norwood
- Thornton Heath
- Waddon
- West Thornton
- Woodside
In the UK, a ward is a subdivision of a local authority area, used mainly for electoral and statistical purposes. Defined by the ONS, wards represent the primary unit for local elections, each returning one or more councillors to the local council. Wards are also used as a key geography for presenting population and census data. We have this list page for easy browsing of all electoral wards: List of all Electoral Wards in the UK.
Parishes in Croydon
Croydon is entirely unparished—there are no civil parishes in this local authority district.
Parishes are the lowest tier of local government; where they don’t exist, those very local services and representation sit directly with the principal council. We have this list page for easy browsing of all parishes: List of Civil Parishes in England and Wales.
Post Towns in Croydon
Below is a list of post towns in Croydon, grouped by postcode area:
- CR ▸ Coulsdon (CR5) ⁞ Croydon (CR0 / CR9 / CR44 / CR90) ⁞ Kenley (CR8) ⁞ Purley (CR8) ⁞ South Croydon (CR2) ⁞ Thornton Heath (CR7)
The UK postal hierarchy begins with broad postcode areas (such as “CB” or “M”), which are divided into smaller postcode districts (such as “CB8” or “M1”) to support accurate mail routing. Each postal address is anchored by a designated post town, the official locality name used in the UK postcode system, which operates independently from Local Authority Districts —the administrative boundaries used for council tax and local government services. Because they serve different purposes, a property’s postal address and its local authority district do not always align exactly.
Built-up Areas in Croydon
Croydon covers 8 built-up areas, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Bromley *
- Caterham *
- Chaldon *
- Chipstead and Woodmansterne *
- Croydon *
- Merton *
- Warlingham *
- Whyteleafe *
In the UK, a Built-up Area (BUA) is a continuous urban area of at least 20 hectares (0.2 km²), defined by the ONS as land where buildings are generally no more than 200 metres apart, such as towns, cities, or large villages. (Note: A BUA name marked with an asterisk (*) indicates that the area is situated partly in the district of Croydon.)
We have this list page for easy browsing of all built-up areas: List of all Built-up Areas in GB.
Railway Stations in Croydon
Croydon is served by a number of National Rail stations, providing rail connections to nearby towns, cities, and destinations across Great Britain. The railway stations listed below are located within the Croydon Local Authority District and are grouped by train operating company for clarity.
- Govia Thameslink Railway (Southern) ▸ East Croydon (CR0 1LF) ⁞ Purley (CR2 2AP) ⁞ Thornton Heath (CR7 8RX) ⁞ Norbury (SW16 3RW) ⁞ Coulsdon South (CR5 3EA) ⁞ Selhurst (SE25 6LH) ⁞ South Croydon (CR2 7PA) ⁞ Sanderstead (CR2 0PL) ⁞ Waddon (CR0 4UP) ⁞ Purley Oaks (CR2 0ND) ⁞ Riddlesdown (CR8 1HN) ⁞ Kenley (CR8 5DF) ⁞ Woodmansterne (CR5 3HS) ⁞ Reedham (London) (CR8 4DJ) ⁞ Coulsdon Town (CR5 2BQ)
- London Overground ▸ Norwood Junction (SE25 5AG) ⁞ West Croydon (CR0 2TA)
This is a district-level view only. For a complete list of all National Rail stations across Great Britain, see the UK National Rail Stations Directory.
Croydon compared with other districts in the UK
This section shows how Croydon compares with other local authority districts in the UK, using a variety of measures and rankings.
Croydon has 28 electoral wards.
Croydon has a population of 409,342 (2024 mid-year estimate by ONS)
Population and Migration Trends in Croydon
This chart shows the population trend for Croydon from 2015 to 2024. It provides a quick overview of whether the local authority is growing, stable, or declining over time, and helps set context for the migration patterns shown below.
Population change is influenced by natural change (births minus deaths) and migration. The net migration chart below focuses on migration, separating internal migration (moves within the UK) from international migration (moves to and from abroad). Positive values indicate net inflows, while negative values indicate net outflows. The rate labels (per 1,000 residents) help compare migration intensity across years, even when the population size changes.
More local statistics and data for Croydon can be found on the ONS statistics for Croydon.