City of Westminster, London
The Political, Royal and Cultural Heart of the Nation
The City of Westminster is one of London's most iconic and significant areas, known for its rich history and monumental landmarks. It is one of the two boroughs within Greater London with city status, the other being the
City of London. Located just west of the City of London and north of the River Thames, Westminster is at the heart of British politics and royal history.
Visitors flock to Westminster to see the seat of the British Government, where the famous
Palace of Westminster, home to the Houses of Parliament, stands. Within this iconic building is the clock tower that houses Big Ben, the world-renowned bell (though the tower itself is often mistakenly referred to as Big Ben). This landmark, along with its surroundings, has become a symbol of Britain worldwide.
Westminster is also home to other key sites, such as Buckingham Palace, the official residence of the British monarch,
Whitehall,
Downing Street (the Prime Minister's residence), and the Royal Courts of Justice. The borough is a living testament to both the history and the political power of the UK.
The City of Westminster borough was formed in 1965 through the merging of the Metropolitan Borough of St Marylebone, the Metropolitan Borough of Paddington, and the previously smaller City of Westminster, which was granted city status on 29 October 1900. This new entity traces its roots back to 1541 when the original City of Westminster was created as the seat of the Diocese of Westminster. Although the diocese was suppressed in 1550, the term "city" continued to be used unofficially.
Neighbourhoods of the City of Westminster
- Belgravia
- Fitzrovia
- Hyde Park
- Knightsbridge
- Mayfair
- Pimlico
- Pimlico Grid
- Soho
- St James's
- The Strand
- Victoria
- Westminster
The borough spans from the southern edge of
Oxford Street to Bayswater Road, making it one of the most vibrant and diverse areas in London. It is home to an eclectic mix of residential, commercial, and cultural spaces.
Prominent districts within Westminster include
Bayswater,
Covent Garden,
Holborn,
Knightsbridge, Lisson Grove, Maida Vale,
Marylebone, Millbank,
Paddington, Queen's Park,
St James's,
Soho (including Chinatown), Theatreland, and the
West End. According to the 2001 census, the population of Westminster was 181,279.
The City of Westminster is also well-connected, with major railway stations such as Charing Cross, Marylebone, Paddington, and Victoria, as well as 27 tube stations serving 10 of the 12 Underground lines, making it one of the most accessible areas in the city.
The streets in the City of Westminster that I have described are marked in the map below in red. To read about the street, point your cursor to the red line and click.
Sights in the City of Westminster
- 1 Parliament Street (GPS: 51.50134, -0.12577)

- 10 Downing Street (GPS: 51.49982, -0.12669)

- Church of St Margaret (GPS: 51.49982, -0.12669)

- Grosvenor Canal (GPS: 51.48637, -0.14918)

- HM Revenue and Customs Building (GPS: 51.50159, -0.12649)

- Middlesex Guildhall (GPS: 51.5004, -0.12812)

- Palace of Westminster (GPS: 51.49947, -0.1248)

- Portcullis House (GPS: 51.50127, -0.12435)

Residential Properties in the City of Westminster
- Millbank Estate (GPS: 51.4927, -0.12968)

Bridges in the City of Westminster
- Ebury Bridge
- Elizabeth Bridge
- Lambeth Bridge
- Vauxhall Bridge
- Waterloo Bridge
- Westminster Bridge
Streets in the City of Westminster
- A501 Road
- Abbey Orchard Street
- Abbey Road
- Adam's Row
- Agar Street
- Albemarle Street
- Alderney Street
- Aldford Street
- Aldwych
- Ambrosden Avenue
- Apple Tree Yard
- Archer Street
- Arlington Street
- Arne Street
- Artillery Row
- Ashley Place
- Atterbury Street
- Avery Farm Row
- Aylesford Street
- Baker Street
- Balderton Street
- Balfour Mews
- Balfour Place
- Barlow Place
- Bateman Street
- Bayswater Road
- Bedford Court
- Bedford Street
- Bedfordbury
- Belgrave Place
- Belgrave Road
- Bennet Street
- Bentinck Mews
- Bentinck Street
- Berkeley Mews
- Berkeley Square
- Berkeley Street
- Berners Street
- Bessborough Street
- Betterton Street
- Binney Street
- Birdcage Walk
- Blackburne's Mews
- Bloomfield Terrace
- Bolton Street
- Bourdon Street
- Bourne Street
- Bow Street
- Boyle Street
- Bressenden Place
- Brewer Street
- Brick Street
- Bridge Street
- Broad Sanctuary
- Broadway
- Brook Street
- Brook's Mews
- Brown Hart Gardens
- Bruton Lane
- Bruton Place
- Bruton Street
- Bryanston Place
- Buckingham Gate
- Buckingham Palace Road
- Buckingham Place
- Bulstrode Place
- Bulstrode Street
- Burleigh Street
- Burlington Gardens
- Bury Street
- Cambridge Street
- Canon Row
- Carnaby Street
- Carey Street
- Carlisle Place
- Carlos Place
- Carlton Gardens
- Carlton House Terrace
- Caroline Terrace
- Carpenter Street
- Carrington Street
- Carteret Street
- Castle Lane
- Catherine Place
- Catherine Street
- Catherine Wheel Yard
- Cavendish Place
- Cavendish Square
- Caxton Street
- Chadwick Street
- Chancery Lane
- Chandos Place
- Chandos Street
- Chapel Street
- Chapter Street
- Charing Cross Road
- Charles II Street
- Charles Street
- Charlwood Street
- Chesham Place
- Chichester Street
- Chelsea Bridge Road
- Chester Row
- Chester Square
- Chester Street
- Chesterfield Gardens
- Chesterfield Hill
- Chesterfield Street
- Churchill Gardens Road
- Clarendon Street
- Clarges Mews
- Clarges Street
- Claverton Street
- Cleveland Row
- Clifford Street
- Cliveden Place
- Coach and Horses Yard
- Conduit Street
- Connaught Square
- Constitution Hill
- Cork Street
- Corner House Street
- Coventry Street
- Cranbourn Street
- Crawford Street
- Craven Street
- Cross Keys Close
- Culross Street
- Cumberland Street
- Cundy Street
- D'Arblay Street
- Dartmouth Street
- Davies Mews
- Davies Street
- Dean Bradley Street
- Dean Farrar Street
- Dean Ryle Street
- Dean Stanley Street
- Dean Street
- Dean Trench Street
- Deanery Street
- Derby Gate
- Devonshire Place
- Devonshire Street
- Dorset Street
- Dover Street
- Down Street
- Downing Street
- Drummond Gate
- Dryden Street
- Duke of York Street
- Duke Street
- Duke Street St James's
- Duke's Mews
- Duke's Yard
- Eastcastle Street
- Eaton Gate
- Eaton Place
- Eaton Square
- Eaton Terrace
- Ebury Bridge
- Ebury Bridge Road
- Ebury Square
- Ebury Street
- Eccleston Bridge
- Eccleston Square
- Eccleston Square Mews
- Eccleston Place
- Eccleston Street
- Elizabeth Bridge
- Elizabeth Street
- Elverton Street
- Emery Hill Street
- Endell Street
- Erasmus Street
- Euston Road
- Exeter Street
- Farm Street
- Fitzmaurice Place
- Fleet Street
- Floral Street
- Francis Street
- Frith Street
- Fynes Street
- Garrick Street
- George Street
- George Yard
- Gerald Road
- Gerrard Street
- Gilbert Street
- Gillingham Street
- Glasshouse Street
- Gloucester Place
- Goodge Street
- Grafton Street
- Graham Terrace
- Granville Place
- Great Castle Street
- Great College Street
- Great Cumberland Place
- Great George Street
- Great Marlborough Street
- Great Newport Street
- Great Portland Street
- Great Queen Street
- Great Scotland Yard
- Great Smith Street
- Great Titchfield Street
- Great Windmill Street
- Greek Street
- Green Street
- Greencoat Place
- Greycoat Place
- Greycoat Street
- Grosvenor Crescent
- Grosvenor Gardens
- Grosvenor Hill
- Grosvenor Place
- Grosvenor Road
- Grosvenor Square
- Grosvenor Street
- Guildhouse Street
- Half Moon Street
- Halkin Street
- Hamilton Place
- Hanover Square
- Hanover Street
- Harewood Place
- Harley Street
- Harriet Street
- Harriet Walk
- Harrowby Street
- Hay Hill
- Hay's Mews
- Haymarket
- Headfort Place
- Henrietta Place
- Henrietta Street
- Herrick Street
- Hertford Street
- High Holborn
- Hill Street
- Hinde Street
- Hobart Place
- Holbein Place
- Hollen Street
- Holles Street
- Horse Guards Avenue
- Horse Guards Road
- Horseferry Road
- Howick Place
- Hugh Street
- Jermyn Street
- John Islip Street
- John Prince's Street
- K Quinn Street
- Kean Street
- Keeley Street
- Kemble Street
- Kensington Gore
- Kensington Road
- King Charles Street
- King Street
- King's Scholars' Passage
- Kingsway
- Knightsbridge
- Langham Place
- Lees Place
- Lincoln's Inn Fields
- Lisle Street
- Little Newport Street
- Little Sanctuary
- Little St James's Street
- Longmoore Street
- Lord North Street
- Lower Belgrave Street
- Lower Grosvenor Place
- Lowndes Place
- Lowndes Street
- Lyall Street
- Macklin Street
- Maddox Street
- Maiden Lane
- Man In Moon Passage
- Manchester Square
- Manchester Street
- Mandeville Place
- Mansfield Street
- Margaret Street
- Market Mews
- Market Place
- Marylebone High Street
- Marylebone Lane
- Marylebone Road
- Mason's Yard
- Matthew Parker Street
- Maunsel Street
- Mayfair Place
- Medway Street
- Mill Street
- Montagu Place
- Moreton Place
- Moreton Street
- Morpeth Terrace
- Mortimer Street
- Motcomb Street
- Mount Row
- Mount Street
- Neal's Yard
- New Bond Street
- New Burlington Place
- New Burlington Street
- New Cavendish Street
- New Quebec Street
- New Row
- Newman Street
- Noel Street
- North Audley Street
- North Row
- Northumberland Avenue
- Northumberland Street
- Old Bond Street
- Old Burlington Street
- Old Compton Street
- Old Park Lane
- Old Pye Street
- Old Queen Street
- Orange Street
- Orchard Street
- Ormond Yard
- Oxendon Street
- Oxford Street
- Paddington Street
- Page Street
- Palace Street
- Pall Mall
- Pall Mall East
- Panton Street
- Park Lane
- Park Place
- Park Street
- Parliament Square
- Parliament Street
- Peabody Avenue
- Perkin's Rents
- Petty France
- Piccadilly
- Piccadilly Circus
- Piccadilly Place
- Pimlico Road
- Pitt's Head Mews
- Poland Street
- Portland Place
- Portman Mews South
- Portman Square
- Portobello Road
- Praed Street
- Princes Street
- Providence Court
- Queen Anne Street
- Queen Anne's Gate
- Queen Street
- Rampayne Street
- Ranelagh Grove
- Rathbone Place
- Rathbone Street
- Reeves Mews
- Regency Street
- Regent Street
- Regent Street St James's
- Riding House Street
- Rochester Row
- Rochester Street
- Romilly Street
- Romney Street
- Rupert Street
- Russell Court
- Russell Street
- Ryder Street
- Sackville Street
- Sardinia Street
- Savile Row
- Scotland Place
- Semley Place
- Serle Street
- Seymour Place
- Seymour Street
- Shelton Street
- Shepherd Market
- Shepherd Street
- Short's Gardens
- Smith Square
- Soho Square
- South Audley Street
- South Eaton Place
- South Street
- Southampton Street
- Spur Road
- St Ann's Street
- St Anselm's Place
- St Barnabas Street
- St George Street
- St George's Drive
- St George's Square
- St James's Place
- St James's Square
- St Margaret Street
- St Martin's Lane
- St Matthew Street
- Stafford Place
- Stafford Street
- Stanhope Gate
- Stanhope Place
- Stanhope Row
- Stillington Street
- Strand
- Stratford Place
- Stratton Street
- Suffolk Place
- Suffolk Street
- Sussex Street
- Sutherland Street
- Swallow Passage
- Swallow Place
- Swallow Street
- Tachbrook Street
- Tavistock Street
- Thayer Street
- The Sanctuary
- Thirleby Road
- Thorney Street
- Three Kings' Yard
- Tilney Street
- Tothill Street
- Tufton Street
- Turpentine Lane
- Upper Belgrave Street
- Upper Berkeley Street
- Upper Brook Street
- Upper Grosvenor Street
- Upper St Martin's Lane
- Upper Tachbrook Street
- Vauxhall Bridge Road
- Vere Street
- Victoria Embankment
- Victoria Street
- Vigo Street
- Villiers Street
- Vincent Square
- Vine Street
- Warwick Place North
- Warwick Street
- Warwick Way
- Waterloo Place
- Waverton Street
- Weighhouse Street
- Welbeck Street
- Wellington Street
- Wells Street
- West Halkin Street
- West Warwick Place
- Westmoreland Place
- Westmoreland Terrace
- Whitcomb Street
- White Horse Street
- Whitehall Court
- Whitehall Place
- Whittaker Street
- Wigmore Place
- Wigmore Street
- Wild Street
- Wilfred Street
- William IV Street
- Willow Place
- Wilton Crescent
- Wilton Mews
- Wilton Place
- Wilton Road
- Wilton Street
- Wilton Terrace
- Winchester Street
- Winsley Street
- Wood's Mews
Painting of the Palace of Westminster, London
Shopping in the City of Westminster
- Fortnum & Mason
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