London Borough of Croydon

The London Borough of Croydon (pronunciation^ⓘ) is a borough in South London, part of Outer London. It covers an area of 87 km² (33.6 sq mi) and had a population of 397,741 as of mid-2023, making it the most populous London borough. It is London's southernmost borough. At its centre is the town of Croydon, from which the borough takes its name, while other urban centres include Thornton Heath, Coulsdon, Purley, South Norwood, Norbury, New Addington, and Selsdon. Croydon is mentioned in the Domesday Book, and developed from a small market town into one of the most populous towns on the outskirts of London. The borough is now a significant business and cultural centre outside central London. Its contributions to entertainment and the arts have helped it gain recognition as a metropolitan centre.

The borough was formed in 1965 from the merger of the County Borough of Croydon with Coulsdon and Purley Urban District, both of which had been in Surrey. The local authority, Croydon London Borough Council, is now part of London Councils, the local government association for Greater London. The economic strength of Croydon dates back to Croydon Airport, which was a major factor in the development of Croydon as a business centre. Once London's primary international airport, it closed on 30 September 1959 due to limited space for expansion amid the city's growing demands. The former lodge to Croydon Airport Terminal is now a Grade II listed building and tourist attraction. Croydon Council and its predecessor Croydon Corporation unsuccessfully applied for city status in 1954, 2000, 2002, and 2012. The area is currently undergoing a major regeneration initiative, Croydon Vision 2020, aimed at attracting more businesses and tourists, supporting Croydon's aspiration to become "London's Third City" (after the City of London and Westminster). While Croydon is predominantly urban, the borough's southern areas feature suburban and rural landscapes. Since 2003, Croydon has been certified as a Fairtrade borough by the Fairtrade Foundation. It was the first London borough to be awarded Fairtrade status.

The area has a notable cultural presence in London and South East England and is home to institutions such as the major arts and entertainment centre Fairfield Halls. However, its famous fringe theatre, the Warehouse Theatre, went into administration in 2012 when the council withdrew funding, and the building was demolished in 2013. The Croydon Clocktower was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1994 as an arts venue featuring a library, the independent David Lean Cinema (closed by the council in 2011, but now partially reopened on a part-time and volunteer basis), and a museum. From 2000 to 2010, Croydon staged an annual summer festival celebrating the area's Black and Indian cultural diversity, with audiences reaching over 50,000 people.

Premier League football club Crystal Palace F.C. has played at Selhurst Park in Selhurst since 1924. Other landmarks in the borough include what remains of Croydon Palace, an important residence of the Archbishops of Canterbury since around the 9th century CE, which was known as 'The Old Palace' during its time as a school. It served as the manor house of the manor of Croydon, held by the Archbishops from the Anglo-Saxon period onwards. Its local successor is Addington Palace, an eighteenth-century mansion that became the official second residence of six archbishops. The borough is also home to Shirley Windmill, one of the few surviving large windmills in Greater London built in the 1850s, and to the BRIT School, a creative arts institute run by the BRIT Trust which has produced artists such as Adele, Amy Winehouse and Leona Lewis.