What Does W1 Cover? Postcodes, Boundaries and Areas Explained
The W1 postcode is one of London's most famous, but few people can say exactly what it covers. Here is what W1 includes, the areas inside it, and how the smaller districts like W1J and W1D fit together.
Ask what W1 covers and most people picture the West End without being able to draw the line. In fact W1 is a compact but dense central London postcode taking in four of the capital's best-known neighbourhoods: Mayfair, Soho, Marylebone and Fitzrovia. It sits at the heart of the City of Westminster, with a small eastern sliver falling into the London Borough of Camden. This guide sets out the areas, the smaller postcode districts and where the boundaries actually run.
The four areas of W1
W1 is best understood as four adjoining quarters, each with its own character:
- Mayfair, in the south-west, bounded roughly by Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly and Park Lane. Grand garden squares, luxury retail and fine dining.
- Soho, in the south-east, between Regent Street, Oxford Street, Charing Cross Road and Shaftesbury Avenue. Restaurants, theatre, nightlife and Chinatown.
- Marylebone, in the north-west, above Oxford Street around Marylebone High Street and Harley Street. Village-like streets, medical practices and independent shops.
- Fitzrovia, in the north-east, around Charlotte Street and Great Portland Street. A quieter creative and dining district straddling the Westminster and Camden border.
The W1 postcode districts
W1 is not a single district. To help sort the enormous volume of mail in such a small area, it was divided into a set of lettered sub-districts, each covering a slice of the postcode. The main ones are:
| District | Roughly covers |
|---|---|
| W1A | Large users and PO boxes (for example, well-known organisations with their own code) |
| W1B | Portland Place and Regent Street |
| W1C | Oxford Street (east end) and around Bond Street |
| W1D | Soho (south and east), Soho Square and Chinatown |
| W1F | Soho (north and west), around Wardour Street |
| W1G | Marylebone and the Harley Street medical area |
| W1H | Marylebone (west), towards Marble Arch |
| W1J | Mayfair (south) and Piccadilly |
| W1K | Mayfair (north) and Grosvenor Square |
| W1S | Mayfair, Hanover Square and Savile Row |
| W1T | Fitzrovia (east), towards Tottenham Court Road |
| W1U | Marylebone, around Marylebone High Street |
| W1W | Fitzrovia, around Great Portland Street |
So a Mayfair address might read W1J, W1K or W1S depending on which part of the neighbourhood it sits in, while a Soho address is usually W1D or W1F. You can confirm any specific address on the Royal Mail postcode finder.
Where are the boundaries?
W1's outer edges are defined by some of London's best-known streets. Oxford Street runs across the middle, separating the northern districts (Marylebone and Fitzrovia) from the southern ones (Mayfair and Soho). Regent Street forms much of the eastern edge of Mayfair and the western edge of Soho. Park Lane and Hyde Park mark the western limit, Piccadilly and Green Park the south, and Charing Cross Road and the Camden border the east. Almost all of W1 lies within the City of Westminster; only the far eastern part of Fitzrovia crosses into Camden.
Why W1 matters
The W1 postcode carries a prestige few others match, home to Bond Street, Savile Row, Harley Street, Oxford Street and Soho's restaurants and theatres. That mix of luxury retail, culture, dining and medicine in a walkable central area is what makes the postcode a byword for the West End. To explore each quarter, see our guides to Mayfair, Soho and Marylebone, or find somewhere to eat with our guide to where to eat in W1. Start planning from The W1 London homepage.
Frequently asked questions
What areas does W1 cover?
W1 covers four central London neighbourhoods: Mayfair, Soho, Marylebone and Fitzrovia. They sit around Oxford Street in the heart of the City of Westminster, with the far east of Fitzrovia crossing into Camden.
Is Mayfair in W1?
Yes. Mayfair sits in the south-west of W1 and mostly uses the W1J, W1K and W1S districts, depending on which part of the neighbourhood an address is in.
What is the difference between W1D and W1F?
Both are Soho. W1D covers the south and east of Soho including Soho Square and Chinatown, while W1F covers the north and west of Soho around Wardour Street.
Is W1 in Westminster or Camden?
Almost all of W1 lies within the City of Westminster. Only the far eastern part of Fitzrovia crosses the boundary into the London Borough of Camden.
Why does W1 have so many postcode districts?
W1 packs a huge amount of business and residential mail into a small area, so it was split into lettered sub-districts such as W1B, W1D and W1K to make sorting and delivery manageable.