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City guide

Chelmsford, UK

Chelmsford is a city in Essex, England. It is the county town of Essex and one of three cities in the county, along with Colchester and Southend-on-Sea.

Type CityPopulation 110,625

Why go

  • City in Essex, England.
  • Served by Andrewsfield Aerodrome.

History

Chelmsford is a city in Essex, England. It is the county town of Essex and one of three cities in the county, along with Colchester and Southend-on-Sea. It is located 31 miles (50 km) north-east of Charing Cross in London, and 22 miles (35 km) south-west of Colchester. At the 2021 census the built up area had a population of 110,625. It gives its name to the wider Chelmsford local government district which also covers an extensive surrounding area.

Restaurants & places to go

Coffee Shop, Cafe · Opening hours: Mo-Sa 07:00-18:00; Su 08:00-17:00 Features: outdoor seating, takeaway · 96 High Street, Chelmsford, CM1 1DX · caffenero.com
Indoor
Thai, Restaurant · Opening hours: Mo off; Tu-Fr 12:00-15:00, 17:30-22:30; Sa 12:00-22:30; Su 12:00-21:30 Features: step-free access · 44 Moulsham Street,… · siambrasserie.co.uk
Indoor
Italian, Restaurant · Italian restaurant · 18 Baddow Road, Chelmsford, CM2 0DG · authenticochelmsford.co.uk
Indoor
Chicken, Fast Food · Opening hours: Mo-Su 10:30-22:00 Features: outdoor seating, takeaway · 51-52 High Street, Chelmsford, CM1 1DH · popeyesuk.com
Indoor
Kebab, Fast Food · Opening hours: Th,Su-Tu 11:00-23:00, We 11:00-01:00, Fr,Sa 11:00-03:00 Features: takeaway · 5 Moulsham Street, Chelmsford, CM2 0HR · germandonerkebab.com
Indoor
Italian, Restaurant · Opening hours: Mo-Fr 11:30-22:00; Sa 11:30-23:00; Su 11:30-21:00 Features: delivery · Bond Street, Chelmsford, CM1 1GD · askitalian.co.uk
Indoor
Coffee Shop, Cafe · Opening hours: Mo-Sa 08:00-17:30; Su 09:00-16:30 Features: outdoor seating, takeaway · Meadow Walk, Chelmsford, CM2 6FD · bakersbaristas.com
Indoor
Indonesian, Vietnamese, Malaysian, Thai, Restaurant · Opening hours: Mo-Tu 12:00-21:30; We-Th 12:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 12:00-23:00; Su 12:00-21:30 Features: outdoor… · bananatree.co.uk
Indoor

209 more places in the Ultimate edition. See the Ultimate edition →

Airports

London Stansted Airport (STN) 14 mi to the centre
London, Essex, ENG, GB — You board from the indoor waiting area — no need to plan for the weather. ✈ 10 airlines (Ryanair, easyJet, Transavia France, Germanwings…) · direct flights to 153 destinations incl. Palma de Mallorca, Arrecife, Ibiza, Tenerife, Dalaman… (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Serves London (31 mi) — the low-cost way in
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 10 airlines, 153 direct destinations

Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.

Indoor
London City Airport (LCY) 24 mi to the centre
London, ENG, GB — Indoor waiting areas, but some gates board by bus or on foot across the apron — plan for the weather on the day. ✈ 12 airlines (British Airways, Air France, CityJet, Iberia Airlines…) · direct flights to 35 destinations incl. Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Florence, Frankfurt, Zurich… (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 12 airlines, 35 direct destinations

Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.

Indoor | Outdoor
London Southend Airport (SEN) 15 mi to the centre
Essex, Southend-on-Sea SS2 6YF, UK — Indoor waiting areas, but some gates board by bus or on foot across the apron — plan for the weather on the day. ✈ 2 airlines (easyJet, Aer Lingus) · direct flights to 14 destinations incl. Alicante, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Dublin… (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 2 airlines, 14 direct destinations

Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.

Indoor | Outdoor
Andrewsfield Aerodrome 11 mi to the centre
Braintree, Essex, ENG, GB
Outdoor
Retreat Farm Airstrip 5.4 mi to the centre
Maldon, Essex, ENG, GB
Outdoor
High Easter Airfield 7.4 mi to the centre
Chelmsford, Essex, ENG, GB
Outdoor

Where things are

Full geo-intelligence in Better Mapping →
Local search powered by Geoverts and geo-intelligence by Better Mapping base map © OSM

Photographs

When to go

Tourist season
May – September

The warmer, longer-day half of the year is the safest bet for a first visit.

Shoulder season
April, October

Cooler and quieter, with fewer visitors and better value.

Worth avoiding
Deep winter

Short days and the coldest weather — check local conditions before travelling.

Getting there & around

Getting there. The nearest airport on record is Andrewsfield Aerodrome; 6 other airports serve the wider area. Check rail and road links from the tourism sources below.

Getting around. Use the map above to orient yourself; nearby hotels, attractions and places to eat are listed from the live Ultimate data for Chelmsford, UK. Local transit details will be added as the guide is expanded.

Trains & rail

National rail

Coaches & shuttles

Intercity coach
Intercity coach

Private aviation

On-demand charter, jet cards and the semi-private scheduled carriers that serve this city.

Broker · Any aircraft via operators worldwide · Global charter broker with 30+ offices; private jets, group charters and cargo.
Broker, marketplace · Operator network worldwide · Online charter marketplace, part of Directional Aviation; instant quotes.
Marketplace · Operator network · Transparent on-demand jet charter marketplace showing the operator and tail.
FBO, charter, management · Managed fleet · FBO network and management across Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific.
Fractional, jet card · Embraer Praetor, Bombardier Challenger & Global, Gulfstream · Fractional ownership and jet cards in North America and Europe.