Waddinxveen

Waddinxveen
Municipality
Vertical-lift bridge over the Gouwe in Waddinxveen
Flag Coat of arms
Location in South Holland
Coordinates: 52°3′N 4°39′E / 52.050°N 4.650°E / 52.050; 4.650Coordinates: 52°3′N 4°39′E / 52.050°N 4.650°E / 52.050; 4.650
Country	Netherlands
Province	South Holland
Government
• Body	Municipal council
• Mayor	Bert Cremers (PvdA)
Area
• Total	29.40 km2 (11.35 sq mi)
• Land	27.90 km2 (10.77 sq mi)
• Water	1.50 km2 (0.58 sq mi)
Elevation	−2 m (−7 ft)
Population (May 2014)
• Total	25,555
• Density	916/km2 (2,370/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Waddinxvener
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postcode	2740–2743
Area code	0182
Website	www.waddinxveen.nl

Waddinxveen (Dutch pronunciation: [ˌʋɑdɪŋksˈfeːn]) is a town and municipality along the Gouwe river in the western Netherlands in the province of South Holland near Gouda. The municipality had a population of 25,555 in 2014 and covers an area of 29.40 km² (11.35 sq mi) of which 1.50 km² (0.58 sq mi) is water.

In Waddinxveen, there's the so-called 'Vergeten Plek' (Dutch for 'Forgotten Place'). This is the lowest place in the Dutch polders. It's 7.01 meters below Amsterdam Ordnance Datum.

Partner city of Waddinxveen is Pelhřimov in the Czech Republic.

The first reference to the area is from 1233, when on April 20, Floris IV, Count of Holland, sold an area of peat lands along the Gouwe River for 200 Dutch pounds to Nicolas of Gnepwijk, Lord of Aalsmeer and Woubrecht. The area was given the name "Waddinxvene". Because of this event, Waddinxveen celebrated its 750-year anniversary in 1983.

Between 1817 and 1870, Waddinxveen was dissolved and its area split into the municipalities of Noord-Waddinxveen and Zuid-Waddinxveen. Due to further expanding, those two municipalities reunited into one.

Lift bridge at Waddinxveen crossing the Gouwe.

Bridge seen from the north side

The Hefbrug church