Utrecht

Not to be confused with Utecht.
This article is about the Dutch city and municipality. For the province, see Utrecht (province). For other uses, see Utrecht (disambiguation).

Utrecht
Ut(e)reg (Utrechts)
City and municipality
Dom Tower of the St. Martin's Cathedral
Dom Tower of the St. Martin's Cathedral
Jaarbeursplein
Jaarbeursplein
Uithof centre in Utrecht Science Park
Uithof centre in Utrecht Science Park
Spoorwegmuseum
Spoorwegmuseum
Neude
Utrecht Centraal railway station
Utrecht Centraal railway station
Flag of Utrecht
Flag
Coat of arms of Utrecht
Coat of arms
Official logo of Utrecht
Brandmark
Nickname: 
Domstad (Cathedral City)
Highlighted position of Utrecht in a municipal map of Utrecht
Location of Utrecht municipality
Utrecht is located in Netherlands
Utrecht
Utrecht
Location within the Netherlands
Utrecht is located in Europe
Utrecht
Utrecht
Location within Europe
Coordinates: 52°05′27″N 05°07′18″E / 52.09083°N 5.12167°E / 52.09083; 5.12167
CountryNetherlands
ProvinceUtrecht
Government
[1]
 • BodyMunicipal council
 • MayorSharon Dijksma (PvdA)
Area
[2]
 • Municipality
99.21 km2 (38.31 sq mi)
 • Land93.83 km2 (36.23 sq mi)
 • Water5.38 km2 (2.08 sq mi)
 • Randstad3,043 km2 (1,175 sq mi)
Elevation
[3]
5 m (16 ft)
Population
 (30 June 2024)[2][4][5]
 • Municipality
375,161
 • Density3,646/km2 (9,440/sq mi)
 • Urban
489,734
 • Metro
656,342
 • Randstad
6,979,500
DemonymUtrechter(s) [nb 1]
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postcode
3450–3455, 3500–3585
Area code030
Websitewww.utrecht.nl
Map
Click on the map for a fullscreen view

Utrecht (/ˈjuːtrɛkt/ YOO-trekt,[6][7] Dutch: [ˈytrɛxt] ⓘ; Utrecht dialect: Ut(e)reg [ˈyt(ə)ʁɛχ]) is the fourth-largest city of the Netherlands, as well as the capital and the most populous city of the province of Utrecht. The municipality of Utrecht is located in the eastern part of the Randstad conurbation, in the very centre of mainland Netherlands, and includes Haarzuilens, Vleuten and De Meern. It has a population of 361,699 as of December 2021.[8]

Utrecht's ancient city centre features many buildings and structures, several dating as far back as the High Middle Ages. It has been the religious centre of the Netherlands since the 8th century. In 1579, the Union of Utrecht was signed in the city to lay the foundations for the Dutch Republic. Utrecht was the most important city in the Netherlands until the Dutch Golden Age, when it was surpassed by Amsterdam as the country's cultural centre and most populous city.

Utrecht is home to Utrecht University, the largest university in the Netherlands, as well as several other institutions of higher education. Due to its central position within the country, it is an important hub for both rail and road transport; it has the busiest railway station in the Netherlands, Utrecht Centraal. It has the second-highest number of cultural events in the Netherlands, after Amsterdam.[9] In 2012, Lonely Planet included Utrecht in the top 10 of the world's unsung places.[10]

  1. ^ "Burgemeester" [Mayor] (in Dutch). Gemeente Utrecht. Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 3 April 2014.
  2. ^ a b Bouman-Eijs, Anita; van Bree, Thijmen; Jonkhoff, Wouter; Koops, Olaf; Manshanden, Walter; Rietveld, Elmer (17 December 2012). De Top 20 van Europese grootstedelijke regio's 1995–2011; Randstad Holland in internationaal perspectief [Top 20 of European metropolitan regions 1995–2011; Randstad Holland compared internationally] (PDF) (Technical report) (in Dutch). Delft: TNO. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2014. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
  3. ^ "Postcodetool for 3512GG". Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland (in Dutch). Het Waterschapshuis. Archived from the original on 26 December 2018. Retrieved 3 April 2014.
  4. ^ "Bevolkingsontwikkeling; regio per maand" [Population growth; regions per month]. CBS Statline (in Dutch). CBS. 1 January 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  5. ^ "Bevolkingsontwikkeling; Regionale kerncijfers Nederland" [Regional core figures Netherlands]. CBS Statline (in Dutch). CBS. 1 January 2020. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  6. ^ Jones, Daniel (2011). Roach, Peter; Setter, Jane; Esling, John (eds.). Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary (18th ed.). Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-15255-6.
  7. ^ Wells, John C. (2008). Longman Pronunciation Dictionary (3rd ed.). Longman. ISBN 978-1-4058-8118-0.
  8. ^ "CBS Statline". Archived from the original on 3 August 2017. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
  9. ^ Gemeente Utrecht. "Utrecht Monitor 2007" (PDF) (in Dutch). Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 February 2016. Retrieved 6 January 2008.
  10. ^ Blasi, Abigail (14 May 2012). "10 of the world's unsung places". Lonely Planet. Archived from the original on 7 August 2017. Retrieved 6 August 2017.


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