You’re standing on the banks of the Thames, camera in hand, looking for those iconic blue towers and suspension cables. You see them. You snap the photo. You caption it "London Bridge" on Instagram.
But you're wrong. Honestly, everyone does it.
If you are looking for the fancy, postcard-perfect bridge with the giant stone towers, you aren’t looking for London Bridge. That's Tower Bridge. If you want to know where is the London Bridge located, you have to look about half a mile upriver, toward the City of London’s financial heart. It’s a bit plainer. Functional. Concrete. But the history beneath those grey slabs is enough to make your head spin.
The current London Bridge sits between the City of London and Southwark. It connects King William Street on the north side to Borough High Street on the south. If you’re using the London Underground, you’ll find it right next to the Monument station (north) and London Bridge station (south).
It’s the most famous bridge in the world that nobody actually recognizes.
The Geography of a Legend
The bridge spans the River Thames, specifically at a point that has been a crossing for nearly 2,000 years. It’s located at 51.5079° N, 0.0877° W.
To the east, you see the HMS Belfast and Tower Bridge. To the west, you’ve got Cannon Street Railway Bridge. It’s basically the gateway to the "Old City." When people ask where is the London Bridge located, they are usually asking for a map pin, but the real answer involves understanding that London Bridge isn't just one thing. It's a spot on the water that has hosted several different structures since the Romans first showed up.
The Romans built the first version around 50 AD. It was wood. It rotted. It was rebuilt. This cycle happened for centuries. By the medieval period, the bridge was a literal city on stilts.
That Time It Moved to Arizona
We have to talk about the 1831 version. This is the one that really messes with people's heads.
By the 1960s, the "New" London Bridge (which was then over 130 years old) was sinking. It couldn't handle the weight of modern cars. So, the City of London did something insane: they put it up for sale.
Robert P. McCulloch, an American oil tycoon, bought it for $2.46 million in 1968. He had it dismantled, stone by stone. Every block was numbered. They shipped it through the Panama Canal and reassembled it in Lake Havasu City, Arizona.
So, if you’re asking where is the London Bridge located and you happen to be in the middle of a desert in the United States, you’re actually looking at the "real" historical masonry. The bridge currently in London is a 1970s replacement made of prestressed concrete. It was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1973. It's sleek. It's boring. But it doesn't sink.
How to Get There Without Getting Lost
London is a maze. If you’re trying to find the bridge today, don't just type "London Bridge" into your GPS and hope for the best, because you might end up at the train station, which is a massive complex several blocks away.
- By Tube: Take the Northern or Jubilee line to London Bridge Station. Exit towards "The Borough" or "Tooley Street." Walk toward the water.
- By Bus: Routes 17, 21, 35, 43, and 133 basically live on this bridge.
- By Foot: Walk along the Queen’s Walk on the South Bank. You'll pass the Shard (the tallest building in the UK). Keep going past the Golden Hinde ship replica. The next big bridge you hit is it.
It’s weirdly quiet compared to Tower Bridge. There aren't as many selfie sticks. You get a lot of commuters in suits rushing toward Bank station. But the view from the center of the bridge is arguably the best in London. You get a perfect, unobstructed shot of Tower Bridge without the crowds.
The Dark History Under the Tarmac
For about 300 years, if you wanted to know where is the London Bridge located, you just had to look for the severed heads on spikes.
No, really.
The southern gatehouse was the "official" spot for displaying the heads of traitors. William Wallace (Braveheart) ended up there. So did Jack Cade and Thomas More. They used to dip the heads in tar to preserve them against the salty river air. It was a grim welcome to the city.
Today, that same spot on the south side of the bridge is home to the "London Bridge Experience," a tourist attraction that leans heavily into this gore. It’s located in the vaults right under the bridge approach.
Why People Get It Mixed Up
It’s the song. "London Bridge is Falling Down."
The song describes a bridge of silver and gold, or iron and steel. Because Tower Bridge looks like a fairy tale castle, children (and adults) naturally assume that's the one from the nursery rhyme.
But Tower Bridge wasn't built until 1894. The nursery rhyme is much, much older. It refers to the many times the actual London Bridge—the one located between the City and Southwark—was burned, broken, or washed away.
What to See Nearby
If you’ve made the trek to the bridge, don't just walk across and leave. You’re in one of the most dense historical pockets of the UK.
- Old Operating Theatre: Located in the attic of an 18th-century church right off the south end of the bridge. It's the oldest surviving surgical theatre in Europe.
- Borough Market: Just a two-minute walk from the Southwark side. It’s been there in some form for 1,000 years. Go there for the oysters or the overpriced (but delicious) cheese toasties.
- The Monument: On the north side. It’s a massive Doric column built to commemorate the Great Fire of London. It’s exactly 202 feet tall because it’s exactly 202 feet from where the fire started in Pudding Lane.
The Engineering Reality
The bridge you see today is a "box girder" bridge. It was designed by the firm Mott, Hay and Anderson. It’s built to be flexible.
When you stand on it and a heavy red double-decker bus rolls past, you can actually feel the concrete vibrate. It’s supposed to do that. If it didn't move, it would crack. It’s a marvel of post-war engineering, even if it lacks the Victorian flair of its neighbor down the river.
Interestingly, the bridge is owned and maintained by the Bridge House Estates, a medieval charity overseen by the City of London Corporation. They don't use taxpayer money for it. The maintenance is funded by centuries of rent collected from properties that used to sit on the old bridge.
Practical Insights for Your Visit
If you want the best experience at London Bridge, go at sunset. The sun drops behind St. Paul’s Cathedral to the west, and the light hits the Shard and the "Walkie Talkie" building (20 Fenchurch Street) in a way that makes the whole river look like it's glowing.
Wait for the tide. The Thames is a tidal river. At low tide, you can see the "foreshore"—the muddy beach under the bridge. People actually go "mudlarking" here, searching for Roman coins or Victorian clay pipes. You need a permit for that now, though. Don't just wander down there or you'll get stuck in the knee-deep muck.
Check the wind. Because of the way the skyscrapers are built on the north bank, London Bridge becomes a massive wind tunnel. Even on a warm day, the breeze coming off the water can be biting. Bring a jacket.
To wrap this up, the answer to where is the London Bridge located is simple: it's the gateway between the modern financial district and the historic Southwark. It’s the grey, sturdy bridge at the heart of London’s history. Once you find it, stand in the middle, look east toward the Tower of London, and realize you're standing on a spot where people have been crossing the water since before the invention of the English language.
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Next Steps for Your Trip:
- Verify the location: Open Google Maps and search for "London Bridge" specifically, not "Tower Bridge."
- Plan your route: Use the "Citymapper" app, which is far more accurate for London transport than almost anything else.
- Time your visit: Aim for a weekday morning if you want to see the chaos of the City "suits" commuting, or a Saturday morning if you want to combine the bridge walk with a trip to Borough Market.
- Look for the plaque: On the south side of the bridge, there’s a small marker explaining the sale of the previous bridge to Arizona—it’s a great bit of trivia to read on-site.