localhost:8080

Port 8080 is the "alternative HTTP" port — when you can't use port 80 (needs admin rights), 8080 is the go-to. Apache Tomcat, Spring Boot, Jenkins, and countless Java apps default to 8080. If you're doing Java development, this URL is home.

What Uses Port 8080?

Quick Start

Spring Boot

# application.properties
server.port=8080

# Run
./mvnw spring-boot:run
# Opens http://localhost:8080

Tomcat

# Start Tomcat
cd /path/to/tomcat
./bin/startup.sh   # Linux/Mac
./bin/startup.bat  # Windows

# Manager: http://localhost:8080/manager

Jenkins

# Default Jenkins URL after install
http://localhost:8080

# Initial password location:
# Linux: /var/lib/jenkins/secrets/initialAdminPassword
# Windows: C:\Program Files\Jenkins\secrets\initialAdminPassword

Port 8080 Already in Use?

Find the Process

# Mac/Linux
lsof -i :8080

# Windows
netstat -ano | findstr :8080

Change Tomcat Port

# Edit conf/server.xml
<Connector port="8081" protocol="HTTP/1.1" ... />

Change Spring Boot Port

# application.properties
server.port=8081

# Or command line
java -jar app.jar --server.port=8081

Can't Access localhost:8080?

Why Port 8080?

Port 80 is the standard HTTP port but requires root/admin privileges. Port 8080 became the convention for "user-space HTTP" — same digits, easy to remember, no special permissions needed. It's registered with IANA as "http-alt" (HTTP alternate).

Related Ports