The 21 is Stagecoach’s cross-city workhorse in Portsmouth, running from The Hard Interchange on the harbour out to the Anchorage Park retail park on the eastern side of the island, by way of the city centre, Kingston and Copnor. It is one of the busiest local routes on Portsea Island, turning up about every 12 minutes through the day, so most people treat it as a turn-up-and-go bus rather than one to time.
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Portsmouth And put this guide together from Stagecoach’s own route 21 timetable and ticket pages together with Portsmouth City Council travel information, so the stops, times and fares below come from the operator rather than a journey-planner guess.
The 21 in brief
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| Route | The Hard Interchange to Anchorage Park (Corby Crescent) |
| Operator | Stagecoach South |
| Runs through | City centre, Kingston, Copnor |
| Daytime frequency | about every 12 minutes, Monday to Saturday |
| Evening frequency | about every 30 minutes |
| Sunday frequency | about every 20 minutes |
| First bus | around 04:42 from Anchorage Park |
| Last bus | around 23:50, later on Friday nights |
| Single fare | capped at £3 under the national cap |
| Day ticket | Portsmouth DayRider £5 |
| Ways to pay | contactless, Stagecoach Bus app, cash |
| Updated | November 2026 |
Where the 21 runs
The line is a straight east-to-west hop across Portsea Island, so the map below gives a better sense of it than a list of road names. It links the harbour and the Historic Dockyard at one end with the shops and business park at Anchorage Park at the other.
Because the whole trip stays inside Portsmouth, a single ride end to end takes only around 30 minutes outside the rush hour, though the stretch along Eastern Road can slow down at peak times.
From Anchorage Park into town
Heading west, the 21 starts in the housing at Corby Crescent, loops past the Anchorage Park shops, then follows Copnor Road and Kingston Road down into the city centre before finishing at The Hard beside the harbour. These are the main stops in order.
| No. | Stop | What is nearby |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anchorage Park, Corby Crescent | start of the route, eastern housing estate |
| 2 | Anchorage Park, Morrisons | retail park, supermarket, business units |
| 3 | Copnor, Green Lane | Copnor Road shops and residential streets |
| 4 | Kingston, Milton Road | near Fratton and Kingston Road shopping |
| 5 | City Centre, Commercial Road | main shops, Cascades, Portsmouth and Southsea station a short walk |
| 6 | The Hard Interchange | Historic Dockyard, Gunwharf Quays, Harbour station, ferries |
From The Hard back out east
In the other direction the bus leaves the interchange, climbs back up through the centre and Kingston, runs along Copnor Road and returns to Anchorage Park. The order simply reverses, and the nearby landmarks are the same.
| No. | Stop | What is nearby |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Hard Interchange | harbour, Dockyard, Gunwharf, ferries and the train |
| 2 | City Centre, Commercial Road | shopping precinct and the Guildhall |
| 3 | Kingston, Milton Road | Kingston Road, towards Baffins |
| 4 | Copnor, Green Lane | Copnor housing and local shops |
| 5 | Anchorage Park, Morrisons | supermarket and retail park |
| 6 | Anchorage Park, Corby Crescent | end of the route |
How often the 21 comes
This is a frequent, all-day route rather than one with a sparse printed timetable, so the pattern matters more than individual minutes.
| Time of day | How often |
|---|---|
| Daytime, Monday to Saturday | about every 12 minutes |
| Evening | about every 30 minutes |
| Sunday and bank holidays | about every 20 minutes in the day |
The first bus leaves Anchorage Park at around 04:42 on weekdays and the last goes at about 23:50, with a couple of extra late journeys around 00:20 and 00:50 on Friday nights. On Sundays the service runs from roughly 07:15 to the early evening. For the exact minute at your stop, the Stagecoach Bus app shows the live times.
What the 21 costs
The 21 uses the same Stagecoach South fares as the rest of the Portsmouth network, so a short city hop is cheap.
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| Single, any distance | up to £3 (national cap) |
| Portsmouth DayRider | £5 |
| Flexi5, five DayRiders in the app | £20 (£4 a day) |
| NightRider, after 7pm | £2.70 |
| Older and disabled pass holders | free off-peak |
Most journeys along the 21 cost well under the £3 cap, so a single is usually the cheapest option unless you are making several trips in a day, when a DayRider pays for itself after the second ride.
Paying on the 21
There is no ticket office on the route, so you buy as you board. Pick whichever of these suits you:
- Tap a contactless card or phone on the reader as you get on, and the £3 single cap is applied automatically, so you are never charged more than the cap however far you ride.
- Buy in the Stagecoach Bus app before you travel, which is where the DayRider bundle and the NightRider work out cheapest.
- Pay the driver in cash on boarding, with the fare ready, as drivers carry limited change.
Whichever you choose, the ticket is bought on the bus itself or in the app each time you ride.
Quick answers about the 21
Where does the 21 bus go in Portsmouth?
From Anchorage Park in the east of the island across to The Hard on the harbour, calling at Copnor, Kingston and the city centre on the way.
How often does the 21 run?
About every 12 minutes through the day from Monday to Saturday, every 30 minutes in the evening, and every 20 minutes on Sundays.
How much is a single on the 21?
No more than £3 under the national fare cap, and usually less for a short hop across the city. A Portsmouth DayRider is £5 if you are making several trips.
Does the 21 run late?
The last bus is around 23:50, with a couple of later journeys on Friday nights. It is not a 24-hour route, unlike the nearby number 23 to Havant.
Who runs the 21?
Stagecoach South, which operates most of the buses on the eastern side of Portsmouth and into Havant. First runs much of the rest of the city, covered in our First Bus Portsmouth guide. The 21 sits alongside the city’s other services in our guide to buses in Portsmouth.
Last updated: November 2026. Check live times in the Stagecoach Bus app before you travel.
