Leeuwarden (municipality)

Leeuwarden Ljouwert
City and municipality
Former weigh house in Leeuwarden
Flag Coat of arms
Location of the municipality (green) in the province of Friesland (dark grey) in the Netherlands (light grey)
Coordinates: 53°12′N 5°47′E / 53.200°N 5.783°E / 53.200; 5.783Coordinates: 53°12′N 5°47′E / 53.200°N 5.783°E / 53.200; 5.783
Country	Netherlands
Province	Friesland (Fryslân)
Government
• Body	Municipal council
• Mayor	Ferd Crone (PvdA)
Area
• Municipality	166.99 km2 (64.48 sq mi)
• Land	151.70 km2 (58.57 sq mi)
• Water	15.29 km2 (5.90 sq mi)
Elevation	3.2 m (10.5 ft)
Highest elevation	5.2 m (17.1 ft)
Lowest elevation	1.9 m (6.2 ft)
Population (Municipality, August 2017; Urban and Metro, May 2014)
• Municipality	108,583
• Density	716/km2 (1,850/sq mi)
• Urban	108,254
• Metro	174,724
Demonym(s)	Leeuwarder
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postcode	8900–8941
Area code	058
Website	www.leeuwarden.nl

Leeuwarden (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈleːʋɑrdə(n)] ( listen), West Frisian: Ljouwert [ˈʎɔːw(ə)t] ( listen)), Stadsfries: Liwwadden) is a city and municipality with a population of 108,249 in Friesland in the Netherlands. It is the provincial capital of the States of Friesland.

The region has been continuously inhabited since the 10th century. It came to be known as Leeuwarden in the early 9th century AD and was granted city privileges in 1435. It is the main economic hub of Friesland, situated in a green and water-rich environment. Leeuwarden is a former royal residence and has a historic city center, many historically relevant buildings, and a large shopping center with squares and restaurants. Leeuwarden was awarded the title European Capital of Culture for 2018.