The Rear of Charles I's Horse

When you see a road sign that says X miles to Salt Lake City or Toronto, do you wonder exactly where that spot is in Salt Lake or Toronto? If you have ever been curious about London and Paris, I can tell you where they are.
According to London Remembers, the backside of Charles’s horse “serves as the centre of London for the purposes of measuring distances.  Key “London” into Google Maps and this is where the pin is plonked. Also, supposedly, the street numbering convention is that the low numbers in a street should be at the end closest to this spot—a rule much observed in the breach.”


When in Paris, you will learn that distances to the French capital are determined from the parvis, i.e., the open square in front of the Cathedral of Notre Dame.




For the benefit of my friend, Angie, who asked for the center point for New York, it is Columbus Circle.




Now you know.