London is one of the most desirable places to visit with its convenient and vast public transport network.
Whether you prefer to hop on a London Bus, ride the Tram, or reach the skies with Cable Cars, London has all types of transportation for an easy commute.
One of the most popular modes of transportation is the London Underground, also known as the Tube.
The London Underground has 11 lines, one of which is the Circle line.
The Circle line is the third less ridden line of the Tube, with total trips per annum of 73 million. Moreover, it has an average weekday ridership of 257,391.
If your destination requires riding the Circle line, it is always a good idea to get to know a thing or two about the line.
This article outlines the routes and stations the Circle line covers.
Moreover, it summarises the fare and payment options available for the line.
Some other Tube lines
- Bakerloo line
- Central Line
- District Line
- Hammersmith & City line
- Jubilee line
- Metropolitan line
- Northern line
- Piccadilly line
- Victoria line
- Waterloo & City line
The topics this article covers are as follows:
- What Is the Circle Line?
- Circle Line Stations and Interchanges
- Circle Line Routes and Stops
- Circle Line Map
- Circle Line Fare Zones
- Circle Line Fares and Payment Types
- See Beautiful Places Along the Circle Line
- Frequently Asked Questions
Contents
What Is the Circle Line?
The Circle line began its first circular service in 1884 and only got its name written on posters in 1936.
It was only in 1949 that the line had its own line appear on the Tube map.
Today, the line serves 36 stations, of which Hammersmith is its depot.
It spans a total length of 27 km or about 17 mi. Moreover, its last extension was made on 13 December 2009.
To find the Circle line on the map, look for a yellow-coloured line.
Circle Line Stations and Interchanges
The Circle line covers 36 stations as listed below in alphabetical order from A to Z.
The table also provides information on interchanges or stations where you can transfer to other lines as well.
You can transfer to the Metropolitan line, Bakerloo line, District Line, or Hammersmith & City line, to name a few.
Table of Circle Line Stations and Interchanges
| Station Name | Interchange |
| Aldgate Underground Station | Connects to Metropolitan line |
| Baker Street Underground Station | Connects to Bakerloo, Hammersmith & City, Jubilee, and Metropolitan lines |
| Barbican Underground Station | Connects to Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines |
| Bayswater Underground Station | Connects to District line |
| Blackfriars Underground Station |
|
| Cannon Street Underground Station |
|
| Edgware Road (Circle Line) Underground Station | Connects to District and Hammersmith & City lines |
| Embankment Underground Station | Connects to Bakerloo, District, and Northern lines |
| Euston Square Underground Station | Connects to Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines |
| Farringdon Underground Station |
|
| Gloucester Road Underground Station | Connects to District and Piccadilly lines |
| Goldhawk Road Underground Station | Connects to Hammersmith & City line |
| Great Portland Street Underground Station | Connects to Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines |
| Hammersmith (H&C Line) Underground Station | Connects to District, Hammersmith & City, and Piccadilly lines |
| High Street Kensington Underground Station | Connects to District line |
| King’s Cross St. Pancras Underground Station |
|
| Ladbroke Grove Underground Station | Connects to Hammersmith & City line |
| Latimer Road Underground Station | Connects to Hammersmith & City line |
| Liverpool Street Underground Station |
|
| Mansion House Underground Station | Connects to District line |
| Monument Underground Station | Connects to District line |
| Moorgate Underground Station |
|
| Notting Hill Gate Underground Station | Connects to Central and District lines |
| Paddington (H&C Line)-Underground |
|
| Paddington Underground Station |
|
| Royal Oak Underground Station | Connects to Hammersmith & City line |
| Shepherd’s Bush Market Underground Station | Connects to Hammersmith & City line |
| Sloane Square Underground Station | Connects to District line |
| South Kensington Underground Station | Connects to District and Piccadilly lines |
| St. James’s Park Underground Station | Connects to District line |
| Temple Underground Station | Connects to District line |
| Tower Hill Underground Station | Connects to District line |
| Victoria Underground Station | |
| Westbourne Park Underground Station | Connects to Hammersmith & City line |
| Westminster Underground Station | Connects to District and Jubilee lines |
| Wood Lane Underground Station | Connects to Hammersmith & City line |
Circle Line Routes and Stops
The Circle line covers only one route: Hammersmith (H&C Line) ↔ Edgware Road (Circle Line).
The route is available as a day service and begins from Hammersmith (H&C Line) Underground Station.
The Circle line timetable begins its first service departing at 04:38 from Monday to Friday.
Table of Circle Line Routes and Stops
| Route | Stops |
| Hammersmith (H&C Line) ↔ Edgware Road (Circle Line) |
|
Circle Line Map
If you are unfamiliar with the stops you will pass through before reaching your destination, use the Tube Map by Transport for London (TfL) to help you know if you are far or near your destination.
It also helps in finding interchanges if you need to transfer.
Moreover, it has a complete legend of facilities you need to know, such as step-free access areas, airport stations, IKEA stores, outside fare zones, and many more.
To use the map, simply look for a yellow-coloured line shaped like a circle, similar to the map image below.
Check your start and end stations and be aware of the number of stops before getting off.
Circle Line Fare Zones
Before diving into fares and payment, it is worth mentioning that London uses Fare Zones to calculate your fare from zone to zone accurately. London uses nine zones, from Zone 1 to Zone 9.
It is applied to several public transportation such as Tube, DLR, Elizabeth Line, London Overground, River Bus, and most National Rail services.
To know which zones you are travelling to on the map, look for grey and white shaded areas with a number (1 to 9) assigned to them. The Circle line fare zones are Zone 1 and Zone 2.
The Circle line stations under Zone 1 are:
- Edgware Road (Circle Line)
- Baker Street
- Great Portland Street
- Euston Square
- King’s Cross St. Pancras
- Farringdon
- Barbican
- Moorgate
- Liverpool Street
- Aldgate
- Tower Hill
- Monument
- Cannon Street
- Mansion House
- Blackfriars
- Temple
- Embankment
- Westminster
- James’s Park
- Victoria
- Sloane Square
- South Kensington
- Gloucester Road
- High Street Kensington
- Notting Hill Gate
- Bayswater
- Paddington
- Paddington (H&C Line)
The Circle line stations under Zone 2 are:
- Hammersmith (H&C Line)
- Goldhawk Road
- Shepherd’s Bush Market
- Wood Lane
- Latimer Road
- Ladbroke Grove
- Westbourne Park
- Royal Oak
Circle Line Fares and Payment Types
Now that you know about the zones of the Circle line, you can decide on a payment card that suits your travel needs.
London uses several payment cards to pay for your Tube fare, including Oyster Card, Contactless Card, Travelcard, and Visitor Oyster Card.
When purchasing a payment card, you need to indicate which zones you want to use it for and the duration.
If you use it beyond the zones it is valid for, you may not be able to get a discounted rate.
You can use any of the payment cards mentioned above to pay for your Circle line journey or a paper ticket paid in cash.
However, a paper ticket is more expensive since it charges the regular fare.
Don’t know which payment card is best? Compare the pros and cons of the payment card through the guide Visitor Oyster Card Vs Oyster Card Vs Travel Card Vs Contactless Card.
To know more about the fares per zone of Pay as you go cards and Travelcards, refer to the table below for a summarised list of adult rates.
Alternatively, the single journey fare is also indicated in TfL’s Single fare finder tool.
To know about fares per zone, use the Caps and Travelcard prices tool.
Keep in mind the more zones you travel to, the higher the cost. Check the complete list of adult fare from Zone 1 to Zone 9 here.
Circle Line Pay as you go Caps and Travelcard Adult Rates Table
| Zone | Pay-as-you-go caps | Travelcard | ||||||
| Daily Peak | Daily Off-peak | Monday to Sunday | Day Anytime | Day Off-peak | 7 Day | Monthly | Annual | |
| Zones 1 only | £7.70 | £7.70 | £38.40 | £14.40 | £14.40 | £38.40 | £147.50 | £1,536 |
| Zones 1-2 | £7.70 | £7.70 | £38.40 | £14.40 | £14.40 | £38.40 | £147.50 | £1,536 |
| Zones 1-3 | £9.00 | £9.00 | £45.20 | £14.40 | £14.40 | £45.20 | £173.60 | £1,808 |
| Zones 1-4 | £11.00 | £11.00 | £55.20 | £14.40 | £14.40 | £55.20 | £212.00 | £2,208 |
| Zones 1-5 | £13.10 | £13.10 | £65.70 | £20.30 | £14.40 | £65.70 | £252.30 | £2,628 |
| Zones 1-6 | £14.10 | £14.10 | £70.30 | £20.30 | £14.40 | £70.30 | £270.00 | £2,812 |
| Zones 1-7 | £15.30 | £14.10 | £76.50 | £25.70 | £15.30 | £76.50 | £293.80 | £3,060 |
| Zones 1-8 | £18.10 | £14.10 | £90.30 | £25.70 | £15.30 | £90.30 | £346.80 | £3,612 |
| Zones 1-9 | £20.00 | £14.10 | £100.20 | £25.70 | £15.30 | £100.20 | £384.80 | £4,008 |
See Beautiful Places Along the Circle Line
If you’re wondering where you can go along the Circle line, the list below shares all the best places to go sightseeing.
It covers areas for art and theatre lovers, foodies, and history enthusiasts.
From the famous Houses of Parliament at Westminster station to the charming Royal Albert Hall at South Kensington station, these places are easy to reach since it is just minutes away from the Circle line stations.
The Lyric Hammersmith/ The Lyric Theatre
Station: Hammersmith
Address: Lyric Square, King St, London W6 0QL, United Kingdom
Phone: +44 20 8741 6850
View this post on Instagram
Bush Theatre
Station: Shepherds Bush Market
Address: 7 Uxbridge Rd, London W12 8LJ, United Kingdom
Phone: +44 20 8743 5050
Spiritland
Station: Kings Cross St Pancras
Address: 9 – 10 Stable St, London N1C 4AB, United Kingdom
Phone: +44 20 3319 0050
Houses of Parliament/ Palace of Westminster
Station: Westminster
Address: London SW1A 0AA, United Kingdom
Phone: +44 20 7219 3000
View this post on Instagram
Churchill War Rooms
Station: St James Park
Address: Clive Steps, King Charles St, London SW1A 2AQ, United Kingdom
Phone: +44 20 7416 5000
Buckingham Palace
Station: Victoria
Address: London SW1A 1AA, United Kingdom
Phone: +44 303 123 7300
Saatchi Gallery
Station: Sloane Square
Address: Duke of York’s HQ, King’s Rd, London SW3 4RY, United Kingdom
Phone: +44 20 7811 3070
View this post on Instagram
Royal Albert Hall
Station: South Kensington
Address: Kensington Gore, South Kensington, London SW7 2AP, United Kingdom
Phone: +44 20 7589 8212
The Design Museum
Station: High Street Kensington
Address: 224-238 Kensington High St, London W8 6AG, United Kingdom
Phone: +44 20 3862 5900
Portobello Road Market
Station: Notting Hill Gate
Address: Portobello Rd, London W10 5TY, United Kingdom
Contact: Contact Page
View this post on Instagram
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I know if the Circle line is serviceable?
The best way to know the status of the Circle line services is through TfL’s Status updates page. The page shows live updates on minor or severe delays and good service status.
What is the first and last service of the Circle line?
The first and last service depends on your starting station. For instance, journeys made from the terminus Hammersmith (H&C Line) Underground Station have a first service departing at 04:38 AM and the last service departing at 00:29 AM.
To know about the services of each station of the Circle line, check the complete list of the Circle line timetable.
How can I plan a journey on the Circle line?
TfL has a Plan a Journey tool that helps riders know where to go from point A to point B.
Simply indicate your start and end locations and departure time and click “plan my journey”.
The page shows available lines, times, and the fastest routes. It also displays the total travel time and cost of your journey.
Is the Circle line accessible?
Yes, the Circle line is accessible since it has stations with step-free access, without the use of stairs, and escalator access, among other things.
Use the Tube maps for the Step-free Tube guide and Avoiding stairs Tube guide to learn more.
Is there a Night Service on the Circle line?
Unfortunately, there is no night service on the Circle line. The night service is only available on the Night Tube, which is available on the Central, Jubilee, Northern, Piccadilly, and Victoria lines on Friday and Saturday evenings.
What Are Your Thoughts?
What do you think about the Circle line? Were you able to ride the Circle line conveniently?
If you have ridden the Circle line already, share your experience by writing a comment in the comments section below.
Your feedback is valuable to us and the readers of this article.
For tips and recommendations in riding the Circle line, write them down below as well to help fellow travellers.
Plus, remember to share and save this guide for quick and easy reference.
To find out more about London Underground lines, check out Winterville’s complete guides on public transport in London.
You can read about the following guides:
- Elizabeth Line
- taxi apps in London
- minicabs and black taxis
- River Bus
- Bike Rental London
- Santander Cycles
- Trams
- DLR
- London Overground
- Cable Cars London
- Driving in London
Safe travels and enjoy your journey!
