Alphen aan den Rijn | |
|---|---|
City and municipality | |
 The older former city hall | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
.svg) Location in South Holland | |
| Coordinates: 52°8′N 4°40′E / 52.133°N 4.667°E | |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Province | South Holland |
| Government | |
| • Body | Municipal council |
| • Mayor | Liesbeth Spies (CDA) |
| Area | |
• Total | 132.50 km2 (51.16 sq mi) |
| • Land | 126.23 km2 (48.74 sq mi) |
| • Water | 6.27 km2 (2.42 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 2 m (7 ft) |
| Population (January 2021)[4] | |
• Total | 112,587 |
| • Density | 892/km2 (2,310/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Alphenaar |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postcode | 2390–2409, 2445, 2470–2471, 2730–2731, 2770–2771 |
| Area code | 0172 |
| Website | www |
Alphen aan den Rijn (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɑlfə(n) aːn də(n) ˈrɛin] ; English: "Alphen upon Rhine" or "Alphen on the Rhine") is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The city is situated on the banks of the river Oude Rijn (Old Rhine), where the river Gouwe branches off. The municipality had a population of 112,587 in 2021, and covers an area of 132.50 km2 (51.16 sq mi) of which 6.27 km2 (2.42 sq mi) is water.
The municipality of Alphen aan den Rijn also includes the communities of Aarlanderveen, Zwammerdam, and Boskoop. The city is located in what is called the 'Green Heart' of the Netherlands, which is a somewhat less densely populated centre area of the Randstad.
The name "Alphen" is probably derived from the name of the Roman fort Albaniana, meaning "settlement at the white water".[citation needed] Its remains still lie underneath the city centre.
- ^ "J.W.E. (Liesbeth) Spies". College (in Dutch). Gemeente Alphen aan den Rijn. Archived from the original on 29 January 2015. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
- ^ "Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2020" [Key figures for neighbourhoods 2020]. StatLine (in Dutch). CBS. 24 July 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
- ^ "Postcodetool for 2405SH". Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland (in Dutch). Het Waterschapshuis. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
- ^ "Bevolkingsontwikkeling; regio per maand" [Population growth; regions per month]. CBS Statline (in Dutch). CBS. 1 January 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2022.