Lomza

Łomża
Panorama of Łomża City
Flag Coat of arms
Łomża
Coordinates: 53°10′N 22°5′E / 53.167°N 22.083°E / 53.167; 22.083
Country	Poland
Voivodeship	Podlaskie
County	city county
Established	9th century
Town rights	1416
Government
• Mayor	Mariusz Chrzanowski
Area
• Total	32.67 km2 (12.61 sq mi)
Elevation	95 m (312 ft)
Population (December 31, 2014)
• Total	62 779
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	18-400 to 18-404
Area code(s)	+48 86
Car plates	BL
Website	http://www.lomza.pl/

Łomża (/ˈwɒmʒə/; Polish pronunciation: [ˈwɔmʐa], Yiddish: Lomzhe, German: Lomscha) is a city in north-eastern Poland, approximately 150 kilometres (90 miles) from Warsaw and 80 kilometres (50 mi) from Białystok. It is situated alongside the Narew river as part of the Podlaskie Voivodeship since 1999. Previously, it was the capital of the Łomża Voivodeship from 1975 to 1998. It is the capital of Łomża County and has been the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Łomża since 1925.

Łomża is one of the principal economic, educational, and cultural centres of north-eastern Masovia as well as one of the three main cities of Podlaskie Voivodeship (beside Białystok and Suwałki). It lends its name to the protected area of Łomża Landscape Park. The town is also the location of the Łomża Brewery.

Łomża was founded in the 10th century, on the site of the present day village called Stara Łomża (Old Łomża). It was first mentioned in official records in the 14th century. Łomża received its municipal rights in 1416, and became an important political and economic center in the mid-16th century.