Loughborough, United Kingdom

Like most of the British Isles, Loughborough experiences a maritime climate with cool summers and mild winters. The nearest Met Office weather station is at Sutton Bonington, in Nottinghamshire, located 5 miles (8.0 km) due north of the town centre. The highest temperature recorded in that area was 36.0 °C (96.8 °F) on 25 July 2019.

At the 2021 census, Loughborough's urban area had a population of 64,884; the ethnicity and religious composition of the ward was:

The religious composition of the ward at the 2021 Census was recorded as:

Brush Traction, a manufacturer of railway locomotives, is located in the town, adjacent to the Midland railway station.

The centre of Loughborough's shopping area is the pedestrianised Market Place and Market Street, which maintain several original art deco buildings, such as the building that currently houses the town's Odeon cinema. A large outdoor market is held in the Market Place every Thursday and Saturday. There is a monthly farmers' market. The first mention of a market in Loughborough is in 1221.

The Rushes shopping centre has been built on the site of the former bus station and is occupied by national chains. The Rushes is linked to the town centre area by Churchgate and Churchgate Mews; the latter has independent shops.

A major new development, the Eastern Gateway, which developed the area around the railway station with a new road and new housing, was completed in 2013 for £20 million.

Pedestrianisation of the town centre was completed in November 2014; the scheme is intended to improve the economy within the town centre and reduce pollution from traffic congestion.

A new Cineworld cinema complex with several restaurants on Baxter Gate, on the site of the former General Hospital, was completed in 2016; but closed in 2024.

Loughborough has five museums, the largest being the centrally located Charnwood Museum, which houses a range of exhibits reflecting the natural history, geology, industry and history of the area. Nearby in Queens Park is the Carillon and War Memorial, home to a small museum of military memorabilia from the First and Second World Wars. Loughborough Library is on Granby Street.

Also to be found in the town centre, near the fine medieval All Saints parish church, is the Old Rectory. Dating back to 1288 the remaining portion of the Great Hall has been restored and houses a small museum run by the Loughborough Archaeological and Historical Society.

Loughborough has, for more than a century, been the home of John Taylor & Co, bell founders. The firm's Bellfoundry Museum on two floors tells the story of bell-making over the centuries. The recording of the tolling bell at the beginning of "Hells Bells", the first track on AC/DC's 1980 album Back in Black was made on a quarter-weight near replica of the Denison bell in the Carillon war memorial. The bell founders has produced bells such as Great Paul, the largest bell in the country at St Paul's Cathedral; Big Peter, the third largest bell in the country, at York Minster; bells for New York's Saint Thomas Church; Sydney's St Andrew's Cathedral; Cape Town's City Hall; and Ann Arbor's Burton Memorial Tower.

The Loughborough Schools Foundation is a charitable collective of three independent schools: Loughborough Grammar School, Loughborough High School and Fairfield Preparatory School.

Loughborough Grammar School is an all-boys day and boarding school for students aged 10–18. Founded in 1495 with money left in the will of Thomas Burton, it is one of the oldest schools in the country and has been a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference since 1962.

Loughborough High School is an all-girls day school for students aged 11–18 founded in 1850, and Fairfield Preparatory School is a co-educational preparatory school for children aged 3–11. The schools share approximately 110 acres of land, including a main campus in central Loughborough and a 70-acre sports field in nearby Quorn.

Whilst they are separate schools in their own right, they share facilities, some sixth-form classes, and extracurricular activities such as the Combined Cadet Force. All three schools were judged as 'excellent' in all categories by the Independent Schools Inspectorate in 2021.

Loughborough Amherst School (formerly Our Lady's Convent School), a co-educational day and boarding school providing all-through education from ages 4–18, closed on 4 July 2025 due to financial difficulties. It was also part of the foundation.