Largest Cities in North Rhine-Westphalia

Top 100 cities ranked by largest cities

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All Countries · Germany · North Rhine-Westphalia

Largest Cities — North Rhine-Westphalia

1 Köln 963,395

2 Düsseldorf 620,523

3 Essen 593,085

4 Dortmund 588,462

5 Duisburg 504,358

6 Bochum 385,729

7 Wuppertal 360,797

8 Bielefeld 331,906

9 Bonn 330,579

10 Münster 270,184

11 Gelsenkirchen 270,028

12 Aachen 265,208

13 Mönchengladbach 261,742

14 Krefeld 237,984

15 Oberhausen 219,176

16 Hagen 198,972

17 Hamm 178,967

18 Herne 172,108

19 Mülheim 170,921

20 Solingen 164,359

21 Leverkusen 162,738

22 Neuss 152,457

23 Paderborn 142,161

24 Recklinghausen 122,438

25 Bottrop 119,909

26 Remscheid 117,118

27 Nippes 113,487

28 Porz am Rhein 113,415

29 Rodenkirchen 110,158

30 Siegen 107,242

31 Bergisch Gladbach 106,184

32 Moers 103,487

33 Witten 101,247

34 Iserlohn 97,910

35 Gütersloh 96,180

36 Düren 93,440

37 Ratingen 91,606

38 Marl 91,398

39 Lünen 91,009

40 Velbert 87,669

41 Minden 82,879

42 Dorsten 79,981

43 Lüdenscheid 79,386

44 Rheinhausen 78,203

45 Castrop-Rauxel 77,924

46 Gladbeck 76,940

47 Arnsberg 76,612

48 Rheine 76,491

49 Viersen 76,153

50 Troisdorf 74,749

51 Bocholt 73,943

52 Detmold 73,680

53 Dinslaken 70,573

54 Lippstadt 67,219

55 Unna 66,734

56 Herten 65,306

57 Herford 64,879

58 Grevenbroich 64,779

59 Kerpen 64,226

60 Dormagen 63,582

61 Bergheim 63,558

62 Wesel 61,685

63 Langenfeld 59,112

64 Hattingen 56,866

65 Hilden 56,565

66 Stolberg 56,377

67 Sankt Augustin 56,094

68 Eschweiler 55,778

69 Ahlen 55,280

70 Bad Salzuflen 54,899

71 Euskirchen 54,889

72 Meerbusch 54,826

73 Hürth 54,678

74 Pulheim 53,762

75 Gummersbach 53,131

76 Menden 52,452

77 Bergkamen 52,329

78 Willich 51,843

79 Erftstadt 51,207

80 Neubrück 51,109

81 Ibbenbueren 50,577

82 Schwerte 50,399

83 Bad Oeynhausen 49,513

84 Kleve 49,072

85 Frechen 48,733

86 Bornheim 48,523

87 Soest 48,037

88 Hennef (Sieg) 48,002

89 Erkrath 47,815

90 Dülmen 47,495

91 Herzogenrath 47,381

92 Alsdorf 46,340

93 Gronau 46,161

94 Rheda-Wiedenbrück 46,123

95 Kamen 45,927

96 Bünde 45,376

97 Meiderich 45,297

98 Erkelenz 44,650

99 Brühl 44,137

100 Ohligs 43,063

The largest cities in North Rhine-Westphalia represent major centers of economic activity, cultural influence, and population growth. Köln leads with a population of 963,395, followed by Düsseldorf and Essen. These cities serve as hubs for employment, education, and innovation, attracting residents from across the country and around the world.

Population size is a key indicator of a city's economic influence and infrastructure capacity. Larger cities typically offer more diverse job markets, extensive public transit systems, and a wider range of cultural amenities. 07 dominates the top 10 with 10 cities on the list, reflecting the state's strong economic pull and quality of life.

While large populations bring economic advantages, they also present challenges including higher costs of living, traffic congestion, and housing affordability concerns. Many of these cities have experienced significant growth over the past decade, driven by job opportunities in technology, healthcare, and professional services.

Did You Know?

1. Köln's population is larger than that of many small nations.
2. 07 has 10 cities in the top 10, more than any other state.
3. The 50th largest city still has a population of 74,749 — larger than most cities worldwide.
4. The top 5 cities combined have a population of 3,269,823.

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