The first city to be granted city rights in the Kingdom of the Netherlands was Deventer in 956, however, some cities such as Nijmegen may have received their city status during the Roman Empire or the city of Voorburg, who was granted city status in AD 151. The last city to receive city status was Delfshaven in 1825. The institution of city status gradually came to an end with the development and centralization of a national government.
In the 19th century, a number of important towns wanted to call themselves cities, the custom of granting city status was briefly revived, and the Hague received a city status, among other major towns.
Some towns, cities and Municipality might not have any information within the City rights section, this could be that the information is either not available or before city rights were established.
List of Cities and Town in the Netherlands organised by Province and then by Name
Drenthe
Name |
City or Town |
City Rights |
Assen |
City |
1809 |
Coevorden |
City |
1408 |
Emmen |
Town |
N/A |
Hoogeveen |
Town |
N/A |
Meppel |
City |
1644 |
Flevoland
Name |
City or Town |
City Rights |
Almere |
City |
N/A |
Biddinghuizen |
Village |
N/A |
Emmeloord |
City |
N/A |
Lelystad |
City |
N/A |
Friesland
Name |
City or Town |
City Rights |
Bolsward |
City |
1455 |
Dokkum |
Town |
1298 |
Drachten |
Town |
N/A |
Franeker |
City |
1374 |
Harlingen |
City |
1234 |
Heerenveen |
Town |
N/A |
Hindeloopen |
City |
1372 |
IJlst |
City |
1315 |
Leeuwarden |
City |
1285 |
Sloten |
City |
1426 |
Sneek |
City |
1456 |
Stavoren |
City |
1118 |
Workum |
City |
1374 |
Gelderland
Name |
City or Town |
City Rights |
Apeldoorn |
City |
N/A |
Arnhem |
City |
1233 |
Bredevoort |
City |
1388 |
Buren |
Town |
1395 |
Culemborg |
City |
1318 |
Deil |
Village |
N/A |
Dieren |
City |
N/A |
Doetinchem |
Town |
1237 |
Ede |
City |
N/A |
Enspijk |
Town |
N/A |
Gendt |
City |
1233 |
Groenlo |
City |
1277 |
Harderwijk |
City |
1231 |
Hattem |
City |
1299 |
Heukelum |
City |
1391 |
Huissen |
Town |
1348 |
Nijkerk |
City |
1413 |
Nijmegen |
City |
Roman |
Tiel |
Town |
12?? |
Wageningen |
Town |
1263 |
Wijchen |
Town |
N/A |
Winterswijk |
Town |
N/A |
Zaltbommel |
City |
1315 |
Zevenaar |
City |
1487 |
Zutphen |
City |
1190 |
Groningen
Name |
City or Town |
City Rights |
Appingedam |
City |
1327 |
Delfzijl |
City |
1819 |
Groningen |
City |
1245 |
Stadskanaal |
Town |
N/A |
Veendam |
Town |
N/A |
Winschoten |
City |
1819 |
Limburg
Name |
City or Town |
City Rights |
Geleen |
City |
N/A |
Gennep |
City |
1371 |
Heerlen |
City |
N/A |
Kerkrade |
Town |
N/A |
Kessel |
City |
N/A |
Landgraaf |
Municipality |
N/A |
Maastricht |
City |
1204 |
Montfort |
Town |
1271 |
Nieuwstadt |
City |
1271 |
Roermond |
City |
1231 |
Sittard |
City |
1243 |
Schin op Geul |
Village |
N/A |
Stein |
Town |
N/A |
Thorn |
Town |
N/A |
Valkenburg |
Municipality |
1452 |
Venlo |
City |
1272 |
Weert |
City |
1414 |
North Brabant
Name |
City or Town |
City Rights |
Bergen op Zoom |
City |
1212 |
Breda |
City |
1212 |
Boxtel |
Town |
N/A |
‘s-Hertogenbosch |
City |
1185 |
Eindhoven |
City |
1232 |
Geertruidenberg |
City |
1213 |
Grave |
Municipality |
1233 |
Helmond |
City |
1346 |
Heusden |
Town |
1318 |
Klundert |
City |
1357 |
Oosterhout |
City |
1809 |
Oss |
City |
1399 |
Ravenstein |
City |
1380 |
Roosendaal |
City |
1809 |
Sint-Oedenrode |
Town |
N/A |
Tilburg |
City |
1809 |
Valkenswaard |
Town |
N/A |
Veldhoven |
Town |
N/A |
Waalwijk |
City |
1303 |
Willemstad |
City |
1585 |
Woudrichem |
City |
1356 |
Geldrop |
Town |
N/A |
North Holland
Name |
City or Town |
City Rights |
Alkmaar |
City |
1254 |
Amstelveen |
Municipality |
N/A |
Amsterdam |
City |
1300 |
Den Helder |
City |
N/A |
Edam |
Town |
1357 |
Enkhuizen |
City |
1355 |
Haarlem |
City |
1245 |
Heerhugowaard |
City |
N/A |
Hilversum |
City |
N/A |
Hoofddorp |
Town |
N/A |
Hoorn |
Town |
1357 |
Laren |
Town |
N/A |
Purmerend |
City |
1410 |
Medemblik |
Town |
1289 |
Monnickendam |
Town |
1355 |
Muiden |
City |
1296 |
Naarden |
City |
1300 |
Schagen |
City |
1415 |
Velsen |
Municipality |
N/A |
Volendam |
Town |
N/A |
Weesp |
City |
1355 |
Zaanstad |
Municipality |
N/A |
Overijssel
Name |
City or Town |
City Rights |
Almelo |
City |
1394 |
Blokzijl |
City |
1672 |
Deventer |
City |
956 |
Enschede |
City |
1325 |
Genemuiden |
City |
1275 |
Hasselt |
City |
1252 |
Hengelo |
City |
N/A |
Kampen |
City |
1236 |
Oldenzaal |
City |
1249 |
Steenwijk |
City |
1327 |
Vollenhove |
City |
1354 |
Zwolle |
City |
1230 |
South Holland
Name |
City or Town |
City Rights |
Alphen aan den Rijn |
Town |
N/A |
Delft |
City |
1246 |
Dordrecht |
City |
1220 |
Gorinchem |
City |
1322 |
Gouda |
City |
1272 |
Leiden |
City |
1266 |
Rotterdam |
City |
1340 |
Spijkenisse |
Town |
N/A |
The Hague |
City |
N/A |
Zoetermeer |
City |
N/A |
Utrecht
Name |
City or Town |
City Rights |
Amersfoort |
City |
1259 |
Nieuwegein |
City |
N/A |
Utrecht |
City |
1122 |
Veenendaal |
City |
N/A |
Zeeland
Name |
City or Town |
City Rights |
Arnemuiden |
City |
1574 |
Goes |
City |
1405 |
Hulst |
City |
1180 |
Middelburg |
City |
1217 |
Sluis |
Town |
1290 |
Terneuzen |
City |
1584 |
Veere |
Town |
1355 |
Vlissingen |
City |
1315 |
Zierikzee |
City |
1248 |
Some Towns, Cities and Municipality might not have any information within the City rights section, this could be because the information is either not available or before city rights were established and predate any historical records.