Rotterdam

For other uses, see Rotterdam (disambiguation).

Rotterdam
City and municipality
Rotterdam skyline Lawrence Church The Destroyed City Euromast Cube houses De Kuip Historic town centre of Delfshaven Port of Rotterdam
Flag Coat of arms Brandmark
Nicknames:  Rotown, Roffa, Nultien, 010
Motto:  Sterker door strijd (Stronger through struggle)
Location in South Holland
Interactive map of Rotterdam
Rotterdam Location within South Holland Rotterdam Location within Netherlands Rotterdam Location within Europe
Coordinates: 51.92°N 4.48°E / 51.92; 4.48
Country	Netherlands
Province	South Holland
Districts	Fourteen Centrum Charlois Delfshaven Feijenoord Hillegersberg-Schiebroek Hoogvliet Hook of Holland IJsselmonde Kralingen-Crooswijk Noord Overschie Pernis Prins Alexander Rozenburg
Government
• Body	Municipal council
• Mayor	Carola Schouten (CU)
• Aldermen	List Jeroen Postma (Pro) Sabine Biesheuvel Pro Miriam Harika Pro Astrid Kockelkoren Pro Chantal Zeegers (D66) Joan Nunnely D66 Diederik van Dommelen (VVD) Tim Versnel VVD Renee Seegers-Hoogendoorn (CDA) Luuc Dekkers (Volt)
Area
• Municipality	324.14 km2 (125.15 sq mi)
• Land	217.55 km2 (84.00 sq mi)
• Water	106.59 km2 (41.15 sq mi)
• Randstad	3,043 km2 (1,175 sq mi)
Population  (2026)
• Municipality	674,485
• Rank	2nd in Netherlands 2nd (Agglomeration) 1st (Metro)
• Density	2,995/km2 (7,760/sq mi)
• Urban	1,031,000
• Metro (Rotterdam-The Hague)	2,700,000
• Locality/City	868,135
Demonym	Rotterdammer
GDP
• Randstad	€602.711 billion (2024)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postcode	3000–3099
Area code	010
Website	www.rotterdam.nl (in Dutch)

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Rotterdam (/ˈrɒtərdæm/ ROT-ər-dam, UK also /ˌrɒtərˈdæm/ ROT-ər-DAM; Dutch: [ˌrɔtərˈdɑm] ^ⓘ) is the second-largest city in the Netherlands by population and the largest by area (319.4 km²). It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the New Meuse inland shipping channel, dug to connect to the Meuse at first and now to the Rhine.

Rotterdam's history goes back to 1270, when a dam was constructed in the Rotte. In 1340, Rotterdam was granted city rights by William IV, Count of Holland. The Rotterdam–The Hague metropolitan area, with a population of approximately 2.7 million, is the 10th-largest in the European Union and the most populous in the country.

A major logistic and economic centre, Rotterdam is Europe's largest seaport. In 2022, Rotterdam had a population of 655,468 and is home to over 180 different nationalities.

Rotterdam is known for its university, riverside setting, lively cultural life, maritime heritage and modern architecture. The near-complete destruction of the city centre during the World War II German bombing has resulted in a varied architectural landscape, including skyscrapers designed by architects such as Rem Koolhaas, Piet Blom and Ben van Berkel.

The Rhine, Meuse and Scheldt give waterway access into the heart of Western Europe, including the highly industrialized Ruhr. The extensive distribution system including rail, roads, and waterways have earned Rotterdam the nicknames "Gateway to Europe" and "Gateway to the World".