Utrecht

Not to be confused with Utecht.

This article is about the Dutch city and municipality. For the province, see Utrecht (province). For other uses, see Utrecht (disambiguation).

Utrecht Ut(e)reg (Utrechts)
City and municipality
Utrecht seen from above Dom Tower of the St. Martin's Cathedral Jaarbeursplein Uithof centre in Utrecht Science Park Railway Museum Neude Utrecht Centraal railway station
Flag Coat of arms Brandmark
Nickname:  Domstad (Cathedral City)
Location of Utrecht municipality
Interactive map of Utrecht
Utrecht Location within the Netherlands Utrecht Location within Europe
Coordinates: 52°05′27″N 05°07′18″E
Country	Netherlands
Province	Utrecht
Government
• Body	Municipal council
• Mayor	Sharon Dijksma (PvdA)
Area
• Municipality	99.21 km2 (38.31 sq mi)
• Land	93.83 km2 (36.23 sq mi)
• Water	5.38 km2 (2.08 sq mi)
• Randstad	3,043 km2 (1,175 sq mi)
Elevation	5 m (16 ft)
Population  (1 January 2026)
• Municipality	378,140
• Density	3,812/km2 (9,870/sq mi)
• Urban	489,734
• Metro	656,342
• Randstad	6,979,500
Demonym	Utrechter(s)
GDP
• Randstad	€602.711 billion (2024)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postcode	3450–3455, 3500–3585
Area code	030
Website	www.utrecht.nl

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Utrecht (/ˈjuːtrɛkt/ YOO-trekt; Dutch: [ˈytrɛxt] ^ⓘ; Utrecht dialect: Ut(e)reg [ˈyt(ə)ʁɛχ]) is the fourth-largest city of the Netherlands, as well as the capital and the most populous city of the province of Utrecht. The municipality of Utrecht is located in the eastern part of the Randstad conurbation, in the very centre of mainland Netherlands, and includes Haarzuilens, Vleuten and De Meern. It has a population of 378,140 as of January 2026.

Utrecht's ancient city centre features many buildings and structures, several dating as far back as the High Middle Ages. It has been the religious centre of the Netherlands since the 8th century. In 1579, the Union of Utrecht was signed in the city to lay the foundations for the Dutch Republic. Utrecht was the most important city in the Netherlands until the Dutch Golden Age, when it was surpassed by Amsterdam as the country's cultural centre and most populous city.

Utrecht is home to Utrecht University, one of the largest universities in the Netherlands, as well as several other institutions of higher education. Due to its central position within the country, it is an important hub for both rail and road transport; it has the busiest railway station in the Netherlands, Utrecht Centraal. It has the second-highest number of cultural events in the Netherlands, after Amsterdam. In 2012, Lonely Planet included Utrecht in the top 10 of the world's unsung places.