Getting to Clapham: stations, Night Tube and night buses
Three Northern line stations, one Overground stop and a Junction that is not quite Clapham: what each is good for, and how to get home late.
By Clapham London Editorial
Short version: for most of Clapham, use the Northern line. Clapham Common is the one for the Pavement and the Old Town, Clapham North is the High Street end, and Clapham South is the southern end towards Balham. Clapham Junction is not in Clapham at all.
The Northern line stations
All three sit on the Morden branch, in order from the north: Clapham North, Clapham Common, Clapham South.
- Clapham North: opened as Clapham Road in 1900 and took its current name in 1926. It is the closest Tube to Clapham High Street station on the Overground.
- Clapham Common: a small domed entrance on a narrow triangular island between the Pavement and Clapham Common South Side. It opened in 1900 as the southern terminus of the City and South London Railway. Apple Maps lists it in Zone 2.
- Clapham South: designed by Charles Holden and opened in 1926 as the first station of the Morden extension. It is between Clapham Common and Balham.
Clapham High Street on the Overground
Clapham High Street station (SW4 6DQ) is on the Windrush line, in Zone 2, with two platforms. Trains run north to Dalston Junction and south to Clapham Junction. Wandsworth Road is the next stop towards the Junction, and Denmark Hill is the next towards Dalston Junction.
It works as an out-of-station interchange with Clapham North, roughly 200 metres on foot according to Wikipedia. On Oyster, a journey that changes between the two is charged as one through journey rather than two. Clapham Common is about 0.6 km away, per the Doogal station map.
Daytime and night buses stop on Clapham High Street too. A fan wiki lists the 50, 88, 155, 322, 345, P5 and N155, so check TfL for the stop before relying on it.
Clapham Junction: the odd one out
Despite the name, Clapham Junction is in Battersea, in the London Borough of Wandsworth, about a mile from Clapham. It is a Zone 2 National Rail and Overground station with 17 platforms, and the busiest interchange station in the UK. All services to Waterloo pass through it, as do many to Victoria and Croydon. There is no Tube there.
It is the right choice if you are heading to the Junction side, or changing from a mainline train. If your plans are on the Common, the Pavement or the High Street, get off at a Clapham station instead.
Night Tube: Friday and Saturday only
TfL’s Night Tube map shows Clapham North, Clapham Common and Clapham South all served on Friday and Saturday nights. The Northern line joined the Night Tube in November 2016 and reopened after the COVID suspension on 2 July 2022. There is no Night Tube on other nights, so midweek you are on buses.
Night buses
N155 (Morden to Aldwych) is the main one for Clapham. It runs through Tooting Broadway, Tooting Bec, Balham, Clapham South, Clapham Common, Clapham North and High Street stations and Kennington, then on to Elephant and Castle, Trafalgar Square and Aldwych. On TfL’s Clapham South stop page, Monday to Thursday night departures start at 00:30, 00:50 and 01:10, with the last at 04:51, 05:12 and 05:32. Friday and Saturday nights start around 00:34, 00:54 and 01:13, ending about 04:50, 05:10 and 05:30. It runs about every 20 minutes at the Clapham South and Balham stops.
For Clapham Junction, TfL lists the N31 and N87 at the station stop, and Bustimes also shows the N19. The N87 runs between Kingston, Wimbledon, Clapham Junction, Westminster and Aldwych. The N31 runs between Camden Town and Clapham Junction via Notting Hill Gate and Chelsea. The N19 runs between Finsbury Park and Clapham Junction via Holborn and Piccadilly Circus. On TfL’s N87 stop page, Monday to Thursday night buses start at 00:38, 00:53 and 01:08, with the last at 04:51, 05:06 and 05:21.
Other late options are mentioned by the Clapham Grand’s getting-here page, which lists local night buses including the 35, 37, 77, 345 and N19. Check TfL Journey Planner for the exact route and timing before you rely on them.
Before you go
- Check tfl.gov.uk/status-updates for the Northern line and the Windrush line. Overground engineering closures have affected the Clapham Junction end of the line on some nights and Sundays.
- Fares, first and last Tube times and step-free access vary by station, so check TfL for the journey you are making.
