Oxford is about 56 miles (90 km) north-west of central London, in the county of Oxfordshire. By car the drive takes about 1 hour 30 minutes. In our October 2026 timings from Park Lane, a weekday 10:00 start took 1 hour 24 minutes and a Saturday 07:00 start took 1 hour 16 minutes.
We timed every drive in this guide from Park Lane in Mayfair to Broad Street in the centre of Oxford, using Google’s traffic model for Tuesday 20 and Saturday 24 October 2026. Broad Street sits beside the Bodleian Library, a short walk from most of the colleges.
How far is Oxford from London in miles and kilometres?
By road, Oxford is 56 miles (91 km) from Park Lane to Broad Street. That is the distance Google’s route planner gave us on 22 October 2026, and it is the figure to plan with.
In a straight line the two city centres are about 51 miles (83 km) apart. The road adds about 5 miles because the route leaves London to the west before it turns north-west across the Chiltern Hills.
Your hotel moves the total by a mile or two. A start in Bayswater, Notting Hill or Kensington is slightly closer to Oxford; one in the City, Canary Wharf or near Tower Bridge adds the drive across central London.
How long is the drive from London to Oxford?
About 1 hour 30 minutes from central London, and the hour you leave changes it by up to 17 minutes. These are the outbound times from Park Lane to Broad Street, with the drive back at the end.
| Departure from London | Weekday (Tuesday) | Saturday |
|---|---|---|
| 07:00 | 1 hr 33 min | 1 hr 16 min |
| 08:30 | 1 hr 26 min | 1 hr 19 min |
| 10:00 | 1 hr 24 min | 1 hr 23 min |
| Return, leaving Oxford at 17:00 | 1 hr 35 min | not timed |
The same timings, with eleven other destinations, are in our guide to the best day trips from London by car.
What is the best time to leave London for Oxford?
On a weekday, leave after the morning rush, at about 10:00. In our timings it was 9 minutes quicker than a 07:00 start, because the slow part of the drive is the first few miles out of central London.
On a Saturday, leave early. A 07:00 start took 1 hour 16 minutes, the quickest drive in the whole set, and 7 minutes faster than leaving at 10:00, when weekend traffic builds up on the way out of London.
Allow the most time for the way back. Leaving Oxford at 17:00 on the Tuesday took 1 hour 35 minutes, the slowest drive we timed, because it meets London’s evening traffic on the way in.
Is Oxford in London?
No. Oxford is a separate city about 56 miles north-west of London and the county town of Oxfordshire, with its own city council. It lies outside every London borough and outside London’s road-charging zones.
The University of Oxford is in Oxford itself, not in London. Its colleges, the Bodleian Library, the Radcliffe Camera and Christ Church are spread across the city centre, most of them within a 10-minute walk of Broad Street.
How does Oxford compare with other day trips from London?
Oxford sits in the middle of the range. It is more than twice as far as Windsor, a little closer than Cambridge and about an hour shorter than Bath. These are our measured distances from central London, with the typical drive time.
| Destination | Distance from central London | Typical drive |
|---|---|---|
| Windsor Castle | 22 miles | about 50 minutes |
| Warner Bros. Studio Tour (Harry Potter) | 20 miles | about 55 minutes |
| Oxford | 56 miles | about 1 hour 30 minutes |
| Blenheim Palace | 61 miles | about 1 hour 30 minutes |
| Cambridge | 60 miles | about 1 hour 45 minutes |
| Stonehenge | 87 miles | about 2 hours |
| Bath | 114 miles | about 2 hours 30 minutes |
Oxford is slightly closer than Cambridge by road, 56 miles against 60, but the time gap is bigger. On the same weekday at 10:00, Oxford took 1 hour 24 minutes and Cambridge 1 hour 46 minutes, 22 minutes longer. Our Cambridge day trip covers the other university city.
How far is Oxford from Heathrow?
Oxford is about 47 miles (76 km) from Heathrow Terminal 5, a little over an hour by car. Heathrow is on the west side of London, so it is closer to Oxford than central London is.
That makes Oxford an easy first stop for travellers who land in the morning: a car meets you at arrivals and drives straight there, with no detour into the city. If you are staying in Oxford, our Heathrow to Oxford transfer goes door to door from the terminal.
Can you do Oxford as a day trip from London?
Yes. The drive is short enough to leave London at 09:00, spend about 5 hours in Oxford and be back at your hotel by about 17:00.
Those hours cover Christ Church and its dining hall, the Radcliffe Camera and the Bodleian, the High Street and lunch in the centre. The Christ Church hall usually closes to visitors around lunchtime, so plan it for the morning and check the times on the college’s website before you go.
Our private Oxford day trip from London runs this day with a chauffeur who waits in Oxford and drives you back. Blenheim Palace, 8 miles north of the city, can be added on the same day.
Can you drive into Oxford city centre?
You can, but parking in the centre is limited, and since 28 September 2026 six traffic filters restrict cars without a permit on roads into central Oxford. With a driver you do not park at all: the car drops you in the centre and collects you when you are ready.
The filters are on Hythe Bridge Street, St Cross Road, St Clement’s Street, Thames Street, Marston Ferry Road and Hollow Way. Four run from 7am to 7pm every day; two run from 7am to 9am and 3pm to 6pm, Monday to Saturday.
Oxfordshire County Council fines a car without a permit £70, reduced to £35 if paid within 21 days, and sends a warning instead of a fine for a first offence in the first six months. Private hire vehicles can apply to the council for a free permit.
Frequently asked questions about the distance from London to Oxford
How many hours from London to Oxford by car?
About 1 hour 30 minutes from central London by car. In our October 2026 timings the drive ranged from 1 hour 16 minutes, leaving at 07:00 on a Saturday, to 1 hour 35 minutes for the weekday drive back at 17:00. On a weekday, leaving at 10:00 was quicker than at 07:00.
How far is Oxford University from London?
The University of Oxford is in the centre of Oxford, about 56 miles (90 km) north-west of central London. Its best-known buildings, including the Bodleian Library, the Radcliffe Camera and Christ Church, are within about a 10-minute walk of Broad Street, where our drive times end.
Is Oxford farther from London than Windsor?
Yes, more than twice as far. Windsor is about 22 miles from central London and takes about 50 minutes by car. Oxford is about 56 miles away and takes about 40 minutes longer, so it needs a full day, while Windsor fits into a morning or an afternoon.
Is Oxford worth a day trip from London?
Yes. A 09:00 to 17:00 day gives you about 5 hours in Oxford, enough for a college visit, the Bodleian and the Radcliffe Camera, the High Street and lunch. Several Harry Potter filming locations, including the staircase and dining hall at Christ Church, are in the same few streets.
Can you drive into Oxford city centre?
Yes, but since 28 September 2026 six traffic filters restrict cars without a permit, most of them from 7am to 7pm, and parking in the centre is limited. A car with a driver avoids both: it drops you in the centre and collects you when you are ready.
How far is Oxford from Heathrow Airport?
About 47 miles (76 km) from Heathrow Terminal 5, a little over an hour by car. Heathrow lies on the west side of London, so it is closer to Oxford than central London, and a car can drive you there straight from arrivals without going into the city.
Ready to see Oxford without the drive?
Your chauffeur collects you from your London hotel, drives the 56 miles, waits while you explore and brings you back the same evening. See the stops, the cars and the fixed price on our Oxford day trip page.
Sources
- Oxfordshire County Council: Oxford traffic filter trial (start date, hours, locations, fines, permits)
- Christ Church, Oxford: Visiting times and tickets
- Google Maps Platform: Routes API, traffic-aware drive times used for our timings