List of municipalities in North Rhine-Westphalia
The state of North Rhine-Westphalia consists of a total of
- 396 politically independent municipalities .
These are distributed as follows:
- 272 cities including
- independent cities (all are large cities), 22
- 1 regional city of Aachen (partly rights of an independent city)
- 35 large cities belonging to the district, including 7 large cities
- 130 medium-sized district towns
- 84 other cities belonging to the district
- 124 other municipalities belonging to the district.
Largest and smallest communities
The 30 most populous cities are shown in the following table, of which all 30 are large cities :
city | circle | Population December 31, 2000 |
Population December 31, 2006 |
Inhabitants December 31, 2019 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Cologne | Cologne (city) | 962.884 | 989.766 | 1,087,863 |
Düsseldorf , state capital | Düsseldorf (city) | 569.364 | 577.505 | 621,877 |
Dortmund | Dortmund (city) | 588.994 | 587.624 | 588.250 |
eat | Food (city) | 595.243 | 583.198 | 582.760 |
Duisburg | Duisburg (city) | 514.915 | 499.111 | 498,686 |
Bochum | Bochum (city) | 391.147 | 383.743 | 365,587 |
Wuppertal | Wuppertal (city) | 366.434 | 358.330 | 355.100 |
Bielefeld | Bielefeld (city) | 321,758 | 325,846 | 334.195 |
Bonn , federal city | Bonn (city) | 307.814 | 314,299 | 329,673 |
Muenster | Münster (city) | 265,609 | 272.106 | 315.293 |
Gelsenkirchen | Gelsenkirchen (City) | 278,695 | 266,772 | 259,645 |
Mönchengladbach | Mönchengladbach (city) | 263.014 | 260,951 | 261.034 |
Aachen | City region Aachen | 244.386 | 258.770 | 248.960 |
Krefeld | Krefeld (city) | 239.916 | 237.104 | 227,417 |
Oberhausen | Oberhausen (city) | 222.151 | 218.181 | 210.764 |
Hagen | Hagen (city) | 203.151 | 195,671 | 188,686 |
Hamm | Hamm (city) | 182.427 | 183,672 | 179.916 |
Mülheim an der Ruhr | Mülheim (city) | 172,862 | 169.414 | 170,632 |
Leverkusen | Leverkusen (city) | 161,047 | 161,336 | 163,729 |
Solingen | Solingen (city) | 164.973 | 162,948 | 159,245 |
Herne | Herne (city) | 174,529 | 169.991 | 156,449 |
Neuss | Rhine district of Neuss | 150.013 | 151,626 | 153,896 |
Paderborn | Paderborn | 139.084 | 144.258 | 151,633 |
Bottrop | Bottrop (city) | 120,611 | 118.975 | 117,565 |
Recklinghausen | Recklinghausen | 124,785 | 121,521 | 111,397 |
Bergisch Gladbach | Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis | 105,693 | 105,587 | 111,846 |
Remscheid | Remscheid (city) | 119.287 | 114,925 | 111,338 |
Moers | Wesel | 107.062 | 107.180 | 103.902 |
Wins | Siegen-Wittgenstein | 108,476 | 105,697 | 102,770 |
Gutersloh | Gutersloh | 95,158 | 96.284 | 100,861 |
The smallest municipality in the state and also the smallest administrative unit in North Rhine-Westphalia is Dahlem (4215 inhabitants) in the district of Euskirchen , the smallest town is Heimbach in the district of Düren , it has 4328 inhabitants. The smallest administrative unit in the Westphalian part of the country is the only slightly larger town of Hallenberg (4465 inhabitants) in the Hochsauerlandkreis .
Local reforms
For an overview of the regional reform in North Rhine-Westphalia at the municipality level, see the list of all municipalities in North Rhine-Westphalia A – E , F – K , L – R and S – Z
One district cities
In North Rhine-Westphalia there are the following 22 independent cities . If you add the special case of Aachen, there are 23 (as of December 31, 2019):
city | License Plate | Residents |
---|---|---|
Aachen 1 | AC, MON | 248.960 |
Bielefeld | BI | 334.195 |
Bochum | BO, WAT | 365,587 |
Bonn , federal city | BN | 329,673 |
Bottrop | BOT | 117,565 |
Dortmund | DO | 588.250 |
Duisburg | YOU | 498,686 |
Düsseldorf , state capital | D. | 621,877 |
eat | E. | 582.760 |
Gelsenkirchen | GE | 259,645 |
Hagen | HA | 188,686 |
Hamm | HAM | 179.916 |
Herne | HER, WAN | 156,449 |
Cologne | K | 1,087,863 |
Krefeld | KR | 227,417 |
Leverkusen | LEV, OP | 163,729 |
Mönchengladbach | MG | 261.034 |
Mülheim an der Ruhr | MH | 170,632 |
Muenster | MS | 315.293 |
Oberhausen | IF | 210.764 |
Remscheid | RS | 111,338 |
Solingen | SG | 159,245 |
Wuppertal | W. | 355.100 |
District communities
The state of North Rhine-Westphalia is divided into 22 independent cities (see above) and 374 municipalities belonging to the district with the city of Aachen and the functional names
- Great district city ,
- Middle district city and
- district city or municipality .
Large and medium-sized cities belonging to a district are determined by ordinance according to the municipal code and perform additional tasks. Membership is based on the number of inhabitants, which must exceed or fall below certain values on several reference dates. Cities with more than 60,000 inhabitants are officially designated as cities belonging to a large district, cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants can apply for this. They lose this status ex officio if they have fewer than 45,000 inhabitants. With more than 25,000 inhabitants, a municipality ex officio becomes a city belonging to the middle district, with more than 20,000 inhabitants it can apply for this. If the population falls below 15,000, it will be deleted from the list of cities belonging to the central district.
The designation "city" is used by the municipalities to which this is entitled under previous law, as well as all large and medium-sized cities belonging to the district. This designation is independent of the future population development.
Large district cities
(usually more than 60,000 inhabitants; number: 35; 7 of them are large cities )
(population in brackets, as of December 31, 2019)
(*) less than 60,000 inhabitants
- Arnsberg (73,456)
- Bergheim (61,601)
- Bergisch Gladbach (111,846)
- Bocholt (71,113)
- Castrop-Rauxel (73,343)
- Detmold (74,254)
- Dinslaken (67,373)
- Dormagen (64,340)
- Dorsten (74,704)
- Düren (91,216)
- Gladbeck (75,610)
- Grevenbroich (63,743)
- Gutersloh (100,861)
- Herford (66,638)
- Herten (61,821)
- Iserlohn (92,174)
- Kerpen (66,702)
- Lippstadt (67,952)
- Ludenscheid (72,313)
- Luenen (86,348)
- Marl (84,067)
- Minden (81,716)
- Moers (103.902)
- Neuss (153,896)
- Paderborn (151,633)
- Ratingen (87,520)
- Recklinghausen (111,397)
- Rheine (76,218)
- Siegen (102,770)
- Troisdorf (74,953)
- Unna * (58,936)
- Velbert (81,842)
- Viersen (77,102)
- Wesel (60,230)
- Witten (96,459)
Middle district cities
(generally 25,000 to 60,000 inhabitants)
Number: 129
(population in brackets, as of December 31, 2019)
(*) fewer than 25,000 inhabitants
(**) fewer than 20,000 inhabitants
- Ahaus (39,381)
- Ahlen (52,503)
- Alsdorf (47,149)
- Altena ** (16,718)
- Attendorn * (24,264)
- Bad Honnef (25,812)
- Bad Oeynhausen (48,604)
- Bad Salzuflen (54,254)
- Baesweiler (27.093)
- Beckum (36,815)
- Bedburg * (23,658)
- Bergkamen (48,740)
- Borken (42,629)
- Bornheim (48,321)
- Brilon (25,451)
- Bruehl (44,126)
- Frets (45,187)
- Coesfeld (36,257)
- Dates (34,596)
- Delbruck (31,989)
- Dülmen (46,657)
- Elsdorf * (21,807)
- Emmerich am Rhein (30,961)
- Emsdetten (36,029)
- Ennepetal (30,142)
- Erftstadt (50,010)
- Erkelenz (43,206)
- Erkrath (43,992)
- Eschweiler (56,482)
- Espelkamp * (24,782)
- Euskirchen (58,381)
- Naughty (52,439)
- Geilenkirchen (27,470)
- Geldern (33,730)
- Gevelsberg (30,701)
- Goch (34,205)
- Greven (37,753)
- Gronau (Westphalia) (48,321)
- Gummersbach (50,952)
- Haan (30,406)
- Haltern am See (37,850)
- Hamminkeln (26,858)
- Hattingen (54,438)
- Heiligenhaus (26,345)
- Heinsberg (42,236)
- Hemer (34,062)
- Hennef (win) (47,290)
- Herdecke * (22,755)
- Herzogenrath (46,375)
- Hilden (55,625)
- Hoexter (28,808)
- Hückelhoven (40,245)
- Huerth (59,731)
- Ibbenbüren (51,822)
- Juchen * (23,294)
- Jülich (32,653)
- Kaarst (43,493)
- Kamen (43,023)
- Kamp-Lintfort (37,596)
- Kempen (34,514)
- Kevelaer (28,087)
- Kleve (52,388)
- Koenigswinter (41,277)
- Korschenbroich (33,251)
- Kreuztal (31,122)
- Location (34,858)
- Langenfeld (Rhineland) (59,178)
- Leichlingen (Rhineland) (28,000)
- Lemgo (40,619)
- Lennestadt (25,308)
- Lohmar (30,453)
- Wages (39,915)
- Lübbecke (25,541)
- Mechernich (27,714)
- Meckenheim * (24,817)
- Meerbusch (56,415)
- Menden (Sauerland) (52,608)
- Meschede (29,786)
- Mettmann (38,757)
- Monheim am Rhein (40,948)
- Netphen * (23,081)
- Nettetal (42,496)
- Neukirchen-Vluyn (27,187)
- Niederkassel (38,667)
- Oelde (29,238)
- Oer-Erkenschwick (31,421)
- Olpe * (24,551)
- Overath (27,100)
- Petershagen (25,119)
- Plettenberg (25,237)
- Porta Westfalica (35,631)
- Pulheim (54,194)
- Radevormwald * (21,919)
- Rheda-Wiedenbrück (48,644)
- Rheinbach (26,986)
- Rheinberg (30,854)
- Rietberg (29,545)
- Rösrath (28,631)
- Sankt Augustin (55,847)
- Holte-Stukenbrock Castle (26.872)
- Schmallenberg * (24,852)
- Schwelm (28,537)
- Swords (46,195)
- Selm (25,925)
- Siegburg (41,554)
- Soest (47,514)
- Sprockhövel (24,739)
- Steinfurt (34,325)
- Stolberg (Rhineland) (56,466)
- Sundern (Sauerland) (27,725)
- Tönisvorst (29,336)
- Übach-Palenberg * (24,044)
- Verl (25,318)
- Voerde (Lower Rhine) (36.017)
- Waltrop (29,328)
- Warendorf (37,157)
- Warstein (24,643)
- Wegberg (28,169)
- Werdohl ** (17,657)
- Werl (30,767)
- Wermelskirchen (34,719)
- Werne (29,717)
- Wesseling (36,347)
- Wetter (Ruhr) (27,392)
- Wiehl (25,161)
- Willich (50,391)
- Wipperfürth * (20,963)
- Wülfrath * (20,957)
- Würselen (38,756)
- Xanten * (21,607)
Other cities belonging to the district
(usually less than 25,000 inhabitants, designation "city" according to previous law)
Number: 84
(number of inhabitants in brackets, as of December 31, 2019)
- Bad Berleburg (18,914)
- Bad Driburg (18,959)
- Bad Laasphe (13,504)
- Bad Lippspringe (16,237)
- Bad Münstereifel (17,440)
- Bad Wünnenberg (12,152)
- Balve (11,201)
- Barntrup (8,501)
- Bergneustadt (18,677)
- Beverungen (13,103)
- Billerbeck (11,597)
- Blomberg (15,115)
- Borgentreich (8,543)
- Borgholzhausen (8,968)
- Brakel (16,137)
- Breckerfeld (8,943)
- Büren (21,515)
- Burscheid (18,346)
- Drensteinfurt (15,556)
- Drolshagen (11,783)
- Tight (20,490)
- Ennigerloh (19,810)
- Erwitte (16,065)
- Freudenberg (17,711)
- Fröndenberg / Ruhr (20,760)
- Gescher (17,254)
- Geseke (21,422)
- Halle (Westphalia) (21,577)
- Hallenberg (4,465)
- Halver (16,083)
- Harsewinkel (25,163)
- Heimbach (4,328)
- Hilchenbach (14,801)
- Horn-Bad Meinberg (17,263)
- Hörstel (20,344)
- Horstmar (6,545)
- Hückeswagen (14,958)
- Isselburg (10,636)
- Kalkar (13,884)
- Kierspe (16,119)
- Lengerich (22,660)
- Lichtenau (10,570)
- Linnich (12,662)
- Ludinghausen (24,822)
- Lügde (9,390)
- Marienmünster (4,902)
- Marsberg (19,540)
- Medebach (8,000)
- Meinerzhagen (20,367)
- Monschau (11,693)
- Neuenrade (11,889)
- Nideggen (10,001)
- Nieheim (6,084)
- Ochtrup (19,662)
- Oerlinghausen (17,142)
- Olfen (12,923)
- Olsberg (14,430)
- Prussian Oldendorf (12,188)
- Rahden (15,402)
- Rees (21,100)
- Rhede (19,299)
- Ruethen (10,826)
- Salzkotten (24,956)
- Sassenberg (14,193)
- Schieder-Schwalenberg (8,344)
- Schleiden (13,128)
- Sendenhorst (13,193)
- Spenge (14,482)
- STADTLOHN (20,283)
- Steinheim (12,528)
- Straelen (16,257)
- Tecklenburg (9,070)
- Telgte (19,911)
- Velen (13,107)
- Versmold (21,603)
- Vlotho (18,380)
- Vreden (22,670)
- Waldbröl (19,553)
- Warburg (23,076)
- Wassenberg (18,630)
- Werther (Westphalia) (11,150)
- Willebadessen (8,111)
- Winterberg (12,638)
- Zuelpich (20,332)
Other municipalities belonging to the district
(less than 25,000 inhabitants)
Number: 125
(population in brackets, as of December 31, 2019)
- Aldenhoven (13,787)
- Alfter (23,563)
- Alps (12,479)
- Altenbeken (9,113)
- Altenberge (10,327)
- Anröchte (10,238)
- Ashberg (15,494)
- Augustdorf (10,032)
- Bad Sassendorf (12,065)
- Bedburg-Hau (12,955)
- Beelen (6,125)
- Bestwig (10,623)
- Blankenheim (8,268)
- Bönen (18,171)
- Borchen (13,393)
- Bruggen (15,745)
- Burbach (14,856)
- Dahlem (4,215)
- Dörentrup (7,680)
- Eitorf (18,749)
- Engelskirchen (19,298)
- Ense (12,162)
- Erndtebrück (6,934)
- Eslohe (Sauerland) (8,811)
- Everswinkel (9,678)
- Extertal (11,069)
- Finnentrop (16,955)
- Gangelt (12,576)
- Grefrath (14,753)
- Havixbeck (11,943)
- Heek (8,653)
- Pagans (8,218)
- Hellenthal (7,863)
- Herscheid (6,954)
- Herzebrock-Clarholz (16.004)
- Hiddenhausen (19,705)
- Hille (15,374)
- Holzwickede (17,076)
- Hopsten (7,650)
- Hövelhof (16,281)
- Hullhorst (13,032)
- Hünxe (13,598)
- Huertgen Forest (8,700)
- Inden (7,397)
- Issum (11,977)
- Kall (11,191)
- Kalletal (13,471)
- Kerken (12,548)
- Kirchhundem (11,485)
- Kirchlengern (16,023)
- Kranenburg (10,719)
- Kreuzau (17,444)
- Kürten (19,662)
- Ladbergen (6,688)
- Laer (6,744)
- Langenberg (8,619)
- Langerwehe (14,028)
- Legden (7,326)
- Leopoldshöhe (16,263)
- Lienen (8,604)
- Lindlar (21,315)
- Lippetal (11,894)
- Lotte (14,095)
- Marienheide (13,522)
- Merzenich (9,885)
- Metelen (6,360)
- Mettingen (11,828)
- Möhnesee (11,722)
- Morsbach (10,138)
- Much (14,412)
- Nachrodt-Wiblingwerde (6,546)
- Nettersheim (7,491)
- Neuenkirchen (13,887)
- Neunkirchen (13,165)
- Neunkirchen-Seelscheid (19,679)
- Niederkrüchten (15,557)
- Niederzier (14,113)
- Nordkirchen (10,111)
- North Walde (9,640)
- Norvenich (10,572)
- Nottuln (19,619)
- Nümbrecht (17,001)
- Odenthal (14,967)
- Ostbevern (11,007)
- Raesfeld (11,431)
- Warrior (11,376)
- Reichshof (18,600)
- Reken (14,888)
- Rheurdt (6,515)
- Roedinghausen (9,758)
- Roetgen (8,648)
- Rommerskirchen (13,298)
- Rosendahl (10,754)
- Ruppichteroth (10,420)
- Saerbeck (7.091)
- Schalksmühle (10,294)
- Schermbeck (13,602)
- Snakes (9,259)
- Schöppingen (6.868)
- Schwalmtal (18,969)
- Selfkant (10,137)
- Send (20,409)
- Simmerath (15,404)
- Sonsbeck (8,673)
- Steinhagen (20,614)
- Stemwede (13,020)
- Südlohn (9,262)
- Swist Valley (18,749)
- Titz (8,455)
- Uedem (8,224)
- Vettweiß (9,397)
- Wachtberg (20,485)
- Wachtendonk (8,129)
- Wadersloh (12,654)
- Waldfeucht (8,842)
- Weeze (10,786)
- Weilerswist (17,633)
- Welver (11,833)
- Call (19609)
- Westerkappeln (11,241)
- Wettringen (8,261)
- Wickede (Ruhr) (12,682)
- Wilnsdorf (20,086)
- Windeck (18,730)
Individual evidence
- ↑ LDS NRW, June 2008 ( Memento of the original from November 1, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ a b c d e f Population of the municipalities of North Rhine-Westphalia on December 31, 2019 - Update of the population based on the census of May 9, 2011. Landesbetrieb Information und Technik Nordrhein-Westfalen (IT.NRW), accessed on June 17 2020 . ( Help on this )