City of Utrecht

Utrecht
City and Municipality
Aerial view of the Dom Tower in the city centre
Flag Coat of arms
Location in Utrecht
Coordinates: 52°5′N 5°7′E / 52.083°N 5.117°E / 52.083; 5.117Coordinates: 52°5′N 5°7′E / 52.083°N 5.117°E / 52.083; 5.117
Country	Netherlands
Province	Utrecht
Government
• Body	Municipal council
• Mayor	Jan van Zanen (VVD)
Area
• Municipality	99.21 km2 (38.31 sq mi)
• Land	94.33 km2 (36.42 sq mi)
• Water	4.88 km2 (1.88 sq mi)
• Randstad	3,043 km2 (1,175 sq mi)
Elevation	5 m (16 ft)
Population (Municipality, February 2017; Urban and Metro, May 2014; Randstad, 2011)
• Municipality	330,772
• Density	3,507/km2 (9,080/sq mi)
• Urban	489,734
• Metro	656,342
• Randstad	6,979,500
Demonym(s)	Utrechter
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postcode	3450–3455, 3500–3585
Area code	030
Website	www.utrecht.nl

City of Utrecht population by country of origin (2017)
Country/Territory	Population
Netherlands	227,077 (66.196%)
Morocco	30,324 (8.84%)
Turkey	13,826 (4.03%)
Indonesia	8,151 (2.376%)
Suriname	7,789 (2.271%)
Other	55,871 (16.287%)

Utrecht (/ˈjuːtrɛkt/; Dutch pronunciation: [ˈytrɛxt]) is the capital and most populous city in the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation and is the fourth largest city in the Netherlands with a population of 330,772 in 2017.

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. It lost the status of prince-bishopric but remains the main religious centre in the country. 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 host 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 transport hub for both rail and road transport. It has the second highest number of cultural events in the Netherlands, after Amsterdam. In 2012, Lonely Planet included Utrecht in the top 10 of the world’s unsung places.

Although there is some evidence of earlier inhabitation in the region of Utrecht, dating back to the Stone Age (app. 2200 BCE) and settling in the Bronze Age (app. 1800–800 BCE), the founding date of the city is usually related to the construction of a Roman fortification (castellum), probably built in around 50 CE. A series of such fortresses was built after the Roman emperor Claudius decided the empire should not expand north. To consolidate the border the limes Germanicus defense line was constructed along the main branch of the river Rhine, which at that time flowed through a more northern bed compared to today (what is now the Kromme Rijn). These fortresses were designed to house a cohort of about 500 Roman soldiers. Near the fort settlements would grow housing artisans, traders and soldiers' wives and children.