Overath

Overath
Coat of arms
Overath
Location of Overath within Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis district
Coordinates: 50°57′N 7°18′E / 50.950°N 7.300°E / 50.950; 7.300Coordinates: 50°57′N 7°18′E / 50.950°N 7.300°E / 50.950; 7.300
Country	Germany
State	North Rhine-Westphalia
Admin. region	Köln
District	Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis
Government
• Mayor	Jörg Weigt (SPD)
Area
• Total	68.8 km2 (26.6 sq mi)
Elevation	70 - 348 m (−1,072 ft)
Population (2015-12-31)
• Total	27,264
• Density	400/km2 (1,000/sq mi)
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes	51491
Dialling codes	02206, 02204, 02207
Vehicle registration	GL
Website	www.overath.de

Overath (German pronun­cia­tion: [ˈoːvəˌʁaːt], Colognian: Ovveroth [ˈɔvəˌʁɔːt]) is a town in the Rheinisch-Bergischer district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

Overath is located about 25 km east of Cologne, in the Bergisches Land. Despite the reclassification as a 'Stadt' (town, though the German understanding leans towards city) years ago due to surpassing the relevant population threshold, the former appellation Gemeinde (parish) seems more appropriate (particularly to the inhabitants) due to the spread-out villages it consists of.

The main settlement is in the Agger valley, with others spread on the hills surrounding it. The kleine Heckberg (small Heckberg, 348 m) near Federath is the highest point of Overath, and the whole Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis.

Neighbouring cities are Rösrath in the West, Bergisch Gladbach in the North-West, Lindlar in the North-East, Engelskirchen in the East and Much, Neunkirchen-Seelscheid and Lohmar in the South.

Overath is divided into 7 parts.

When first mentioned in 1060, Overath was called "Achera" (after the Agger river). Presumably because of the first settlement at a clearing (German Rodung) the name changed to "Ouerode" (about 1280), "Ovverode" (1304), "Overadt" (1582), and finally became "Overath".

The coat of arms of Overath was only created on March 3, 1938. It consists of two areas: