For all mileage purposes the centre of London is taken to be the statue of Charles I at Charing Cross.
This used to be the site of one of the 12 Eleanor Crosses commissioned by Edward I to commemorate the funeral procession of his wife Eleanor of Castile. The last (and largest) cross was erected here at the top of Whitehall in 1291, but was cast down by the Parliamentarians in 1647 having been deemed too royal/Catholic/pagan (delete as appropriate). The current equestrian statue replaced it in 1675 when royalty was back in vogue, and has been sitting there on its traffic island just south of Nelson's Column ever since there was a traffic island just south of Nelson's Column.
So with that as our central point, let's enumerate...
London's boroughs ranked by how close to the centre they are
1)Westminster(0 miles) A plaque beneath the statue of Charles I confirms "mileages from London are measured from the site of the original cross", and Charing Cross is in Westminster which makes Westminster definitively London's most central borough. n.b. All borough names click through to a map.
2)Lambeth(0.3 miles)
Lambeth is the 2nd closest borough to the centre of London, being just across the Thames from Charing Cross station. The closest point is halfway across the Golden Jubilee Bridges. n.b. Because Lambeth stretches all the way to Crystal Palace, 6 miles away, nine other boroughs are more central in their entirety.
3)Camden(0.4 miles)
The closest point to the centre of London is on West Street in Covent Garden, immediately outside St Martin's Theatre (where The Mousetrap is now in its 71st year).
4)Southwark(0.6 miles)
The closest point is below the OXO Tower on the South Bank.
5)City of London(0.7 miles)
The closest point is on the western edge of Temple Inn, close to Fountain Court. n.b. The City, in its entirety, is closer to the centre than any other London borough.
6)Islington(1.3 miles)
The closest point is round the back of Farringdon Crossrail station, where Farringdon Road meets Charterhouse Street.
7)Kensington & Chelsea(1.4 miles)
The closest point is on Knightsbridge, facing the Albert Gate into Hyde Park. n.b. Kensington & Chelsea, in its entirety, is the third closest borough to the centre.
8)Wandsworth(1.6 miles)
The closest point is Riverside Gardens on Nine Elms Lane in Vauxhall, at the foot of St George's Wharf Tower.
9)Hackney(2.0 miles)
The closest point is on the corner of Sun Street and Wilson Street, where One Crown Place faces Broadgate (as blogged here).
10)Tower Hamlets(2.1 miles)
The closest point is at the entrance to Tower Millennium Pier alongside the Tower of London.
11)Hammersmith & Fulham(3.1 miles)
The closest point is at Chelsea Harbour amid the private development at the mouth of Chelsea Creek.
12)Brent(3.3 miles)
The closest point is a parade of shops in Maida Hill where Shirland Road meets Kilburn Park Road (as blogged here). n.b. Brent is the first outer London borough to appear on this list.
13)Lewisham(3.4 miles)
The closest point is below South Bermondsey station, off Bolina Road by The Den, home of Millwall FC. It's a bit grim.
14)Haringey(4.0 miles)
The closest point is at the southern tip of Finsbury Park, by the tenpin bowling place, immediately opposite Finsbury Park station.
15)Barnet(4.6 miles)
The closest point is the University College School Sports Ground in Cricklewood, just behind Hampstead Cemetery. n.b. Everyone in Barnet lives closer to central London than everyone in Havering.
16)Greenwich(4.7 miles)
The closest point is by Twinkle Park at the end of Borthwick Street in Deptford, facing Convoys Wharf.
17)Newham(5.0 miles)
The closest point is on the River Lea at Old Ford near the Bow Roundabout, behind the Crossrail electricty substation on Cooks Road. n.b. This is the middle borough on the list, and it may not be a coincidence that Newham is sometimes defined as inner London and sometimes as outer.
18)Ealing(5.1 miles)
The closest point is in Acton on the corner of Old Oak Road and Uxbridge Road. n.b. I know on the graphic it looks like Richmond is closer, but the graphic's oversimplified.
19)Hounslow(5.2 miles)
The closest point is marginally in Chiswick off Goldhawk Road near Stamford Brook Common. n.b. Hounslow stretches for another 9 miles from here, and only six other boroughs stretch further.
20)Richmond(5.3 miles)
The closest point is on the Thames Path just downstream of Hammersmith Bridge, by the Harrods Furniture Depository.
21)Merton(5.4 miles)
The closest point is in the River Wandle just southwest of Earlsfield station.
22)Waltham Forest(5.7 miles)
The closest point is in the River Lea where it ducks under Lea Bridge Road by The Princess of Wales.
23)Croydon(5.8 miles)
The closest point is on Crown Lane at the northeastern tip of Streatham Common. n.b. Even though Croydon is London's southernmost borough, five boroughs stretch further from the centre of London.
24)Bromley(6.0 miles)
The closest point is the mini roundabout at the top of Crystal Palace Parade near the TV mast. n.b. Bromley stretches for another 10 miles from here, and only two other boroughs stretch further.
25)Enfield(6.9 miles)
The closest point is on the railway line two streets north of Bowes Park station. n.b. Even though Enfield is London's northernmost borough, thirteen(!) boroughs stretch further from the centre of London.
26)Redbridge(7.2 miles)
The closest point is on Harrow Road on the western edge of Wanstead Flats at Harrow Road Playing Fields.
27)Kingston(7.4 miles)
The closest point is on the Beverley Brook along the edge of Richmond Park, where Kingston Vale becomes Roehampton Vale.
28)Sutton(8.1 miles)
The closest point is on Bishopsford Road between Poulter Park and the home ground of Tooting and Mitcham United FC.
29)Harrow(8.6 miles)
The closest point is on Kingsbury Circle roundabout, just west of Kingsbury station.
30)Barking & Dagenham(8.7 miles)
The closest point is the roundabout in Barking where London Road meets the North Circular.
31)Bexley(9.9 miles)
The closest point is Falconwood station, just off Rochester Way.
32)Hillingdon(11.9 miles)
The closest point is on the Grand Union Canal (Paddington Arm) alongside Willow Tree Open Space. n.b. If Hillingdon didn't bend inwards towards Greenford it'd be the furthest borough of all.
33)Havering(12.2 miles)
The closest point is where the River Beam flows into the Thames, on private land alongside Ford Dagenham. n.b. Havering contains the furthest point from central London, beyond the M25, a full 20 miles from Charing Cross.
And I've slogged through all this because it helps explain why residents of some boroughs feel a long way from the action, maybe not even Londoners at all. Havering's almost a world of its own demographically. Hillingdon's peripheral location might be significant if there were, say, a by-election taking place there today.
Also people don't necessarily realise that London goes a lot further east-west than north-south... 36 miles across but only 28 miles top-to-bottom. London would be a lot more circular if you got rid of Hillingdon and Havering.
n.b. There are no plans to get rid of Hillingdon and Havering.
