Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region (original) (raw)

Urban area in Germany

Place in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region Metropolregion Rhein-Ruhr
Aerial view of CologneAerial view of Düsseldorf, the state capital of North Rhine-WestphaliaDortmundEssenFrom top, left to right: Aerial view of CologneAerial view of Düsseldorf, the state capital of North Rhine-WestphaliaDortmundEssen
The Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region of GermanyThe Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region of Germany
Coordinates: 51°27′N 6°53′E / 51.450°N 6.883°E / 51.450; 6.883
Country Germany
State North Rhine-Westphalia
Largest cities CologneDüsseldorfDortmundEssenDuisburgBochumWuppertalBonn Krefeld
Area
• Metro 7,110 km2 (2,750 sq mi)
Highest elevation 494 m (1,621 ft)
Lowest elevation 20 m (66 ft)
Population (2021)
• Metro 11,300,000
• Metro density 1,590/km2 (4,120/sq mi)
GDP[1]
• Metro €536.431 billion (2021)
Time zone UTC+1 (CET)

The Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region (German: Metropolregion Rhein-Ruhr) is the largest metropolitan region in Germany, with over ten million inhabitants.[2] A polycentric conurbation with several major urban concentrations, the region covers an area of 7,110 square kilometres (2,750 sq mi), entirely within the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region spreads from the Ruhr area (Dortmund-Bochum-Essen-Duisburg) in the north to the urban areas of the cities of Mönchengladbach, Düsseldorf (the state capital), Wuppertal, Leverkusen, Cologne (the region's largest and Germany's fourth largest city), and Bonn in the south. The location of the Rhine-Ruhr at the heart of the European Blue Banana makes it well connected to other major European cities and metropolitan areas such as the Randstad, the Flemish Diamond and the Frankfurt Rhine Main Region.

The metropolitan area is named after the Rhine and Ruhr rivers, which are the region's defining geographical features and historically its economic backbone.

The largest cities in the Rhine-Ruhr area are Cologne, with over one million inhabitants, followed by Düsseldorf, Dortmund and Essen, each of which has around 600.000.

Many unofficial compositions of the Rhine-Ruhr area differ from one another, while the officially defined border of the metropolitan area itself comprises Hamm in the east, Mönchengladbach in the west, Bonn in the south, with the small city of Wesel as its northernmost point. The northern border is similar to that of the Ruhr Area.

This first unofficial table here characterizes the Rhine-Ruhr area as comprising three regions, which together constitute an area much larger than officially defined.

Region Major cities Population Area
Ruhr Metropolitan Region[3] 5,172,745 4,435 km2
Dortmund 587,696 280 km2
Essen 588,375 210 km2
Duisburg 495,885 233 km2
Bochum 385,626 145 km2
Gelsenkirchen 268,102 105 km2
Oberhausen 212,568 77 km2
Düsseldorf Metropolitan Region 2,944,700 2,404 km2
Düsseldorf 644,280 217 km2
Neuss 152,731 99 km2
Mönchengladbach 274,090 170 km2
Wuppertal 351,050 168 km2
Cologne Bonn Region[4] 2,818,178 2,920 km2
Cologne 1,089,879 405 km2
Bonn 335,975 141 km2
Leverkusen 160,819 79 km2
Rhine-Ruhr 10,935,623 9,759 km2

Eurostat's Urban Audit splits the Rhine-Ruhr region into six Functional Urban Areas (FUA). None of these six Urban Zones includes the cities of Remscheid and Solingen or the district of Rhein-Kreis Neuss.

Larger Urban Zone Major cities Population Area
Ruhr Larger Urban Zone[5][6] 5,172,745 4,434 km2
Dortmund 587,696 280 km2
Essen 588,375 210 km2
Duisburg 495,885 233 km2
Düsseldorf Larger Urban Zone[7][8] 1,525,774 1,200 km2
Düsseldorf 644,280 217 km2
Neuss 152,731 99 km2
Ratingen 91,722 67 km2
Mönchengladbach Larger Urban Zone[9][10] 415,729 400 km2
Mönchengladbach 274,090 170 km2
Viersen 78,315 91 km2
Korschenbroich 34,324 55 km2
Wegberg 29,000 84 km2
Wuppertal Larger Urban Zone[11][12] 625,565 333 km2
Wuppertal 351,050 168 km2
Remscheid 112,970 75 km2
Solingen 161,545 90 km2
Cologne Larger Urban Zone[13][14] 1,899,930 1,627 km2
Cologne 1,089,879 405 km2
Bonn Larger Urban Zone[15][16] 918,248 1,295 km2
Bonn 335,975 141 km2
Rhine-Ruhr 10,542,152 9,289 km2

Deutsche Telekom headquarters in Bonn

Historically, most of the Ruhr area was for the most part characterized by heavy industry since the age of industrialisation in the late 19th and early 20th century. Since the Middle Ages, Cologne, Dortmund, and other cities were important regional trading cities, but during the 19th century the city of Düsseldorf grew to become the administrative center of the region and since 1945, its political capital.

Today, the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region accounts for roughly 15% of the GDP of the German economy, which would place it as the 2nd largest metropolitan area GDP in the European Union after the Paris region. Despite this size, the Rhine-Ruhr region as a whole often lacks international competitiveness because it lacks a unified presentation. Cities and urban areas within it often pursue separate investment policies against each other.[17]

From within, Düsseldorf, Essen, and Cologne are by far the largest economic centers,[18] with specialisation in financial/high tech and insurance/multi media services respectively. Other major economic centers are Bonn and Dortmund. The region is home to twelve Fortune Global 500 companies,[19] among them E.ON (Essen), Deutsche Post (Bonn), Metro (Düsseldorf), Deutsche Telekom (Bonn), ThyssenKrupp (Essen), RWE (Essen), Bayer (Leverkusen), Franz Haniel & Cie. (Duisburg), Evonik (Essen), Hochtief, (Essen) and the Henkel Group, (Düsseldorf).

The Rhine-Ruhr area's climate is characterized by having the warmest winters in Germany, especially its western part at the Lower Rhine area. Classified by Köppen-Geiger climate classification to be oceanic (Cfb).

Düsseldorf
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D 55 6 2 56 8 2 50 11 3 27 16 5 43 20 9 69 24 14 54 25 14 66 25 15 44 21 11 37 15 9 46 10 5 54 8 4 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C █ Precipitation totals in mmSource: Weatheronline [20]
Imperial conversion JFMAMJJASOND 2.2 43 35 2.2 47 35 2 52 38 1.1 60 40 1.7 67 47 2.7 75 56 2.1 78 58 2.6 77 58 1.7 70 52 1.5 60 47 1.8 51 41 2.1 47 39 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F █ Precipitation totals in inches
Essen
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D 72 4 −1 52 5 0 65 9 2 57 14 5 71 18 8 85 21 11 81 23 13 75 22 13 67 19 10 66 14 7 71 8 3 81 5 1 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C █ Precipitation totals in mmSource: Climate-Data[21]
Imperial conversion JFMAMJJASOND 2.8 40 31 2 41 31 2.6 49 36 2.2 57 40 2.8 65 47 3.3 70 52 3.2 73 56 3 72 55 2.6 67 51 2.6 58 44 2.8 47 38 3.2 42 33 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F █ Precipitation totals in inches
Cologne
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D 58 5 −1 52 6 −1 52 10 2 53 14 5 66 19 8 83 22 11 78 24 13 83 23 13 63 20 10 55 15 7 66 9 3 65 5 1 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C █ Precipitation totals in mmSource: Climate-Data[22]
Imperial conversion JFMAMJJASOND 2.3 40 31 2 42 31 2 50 35 2.1 58 40 2.6 66 47 3.3 72 52 3.1 74 56 3.3 74 55 2.5 68 50 2.2 58 44 2.6 48 38 2.6 42 33 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F █ Precipitation totals in inches
Dortmund
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D 71 4 −1 52 5 −1 64 9 2 56 13 4 69 18 8 82 21 11 81 22 13 74 22 12 67 19 10 62 14 7 71 8 3 80 5 0 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C █ Precipitation totals in mmSource: Climate-Data[23]
Imperial conversion JFMAMJJASOND 2.8 39 30 2 41 31 2.5 48 35 2.2 56 40 2.7 64 46 3.2 70 52 3.2 72 55 2.9 71 54 2.6 66 49 2.4 57 44 2.8 46 37 3.1 41 33 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F █ Precipitation totals in inches

Map of DB 2650 connecting Cologne with Hamm

The area has four international commercial airports, and several smaller aerodromes for general aviation.

Airport IATA code ICAO code annual passenger traffic
Düsseldorf Airport DUS EDDL 25.51 M. (2019)
Cologne Bonn Airport CGN EDDK 12.39 M. (2019)
Dortmund Airport DTM EDLW 2.72 M. (2019)

The network of Autobahns in North Rhine-Westphalia is the most dense in all of Germany.

The rail, S-Bahn, U-Bahn and bus companies are administered through a consortium of local and regional transport lines, the Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr. It offers a rapid transit system which interconnects all cities and their respective local buses, trams, U- and S-Bahn systems, partly under the umbrella of Deutsche Bahn. Their systems are highly integrated where even some subway lines continue from one city to the next (for example between Düsseldorf and Duisburg or Bochum and Herne, which is unique in Germany, as the city border is crossed underground). The region is divided into several urban zones and fares are paid according to the amount of urban areas (or zones) passed through. Tickets include door to door transportation with all forms covered in one ticket with the exception of high speed rail (which only stops in the major cities). Some excursions, theatre and opera tickets as well as museums offer free transportation from any point in the Rhine Ruhr area to the venue and return.

Duisburg Inner Harbour (Duisport) and Dortmund Port are large industrial inland ports and serve as hubs along the Rhine and the German inland water transport system.

Westfalenstadion, the stadium of Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund, is the largest stadium in Germany.

The region is host to numerous large events, comprising fun fairs and cultural events like the Cologne and Düsseldorf carnivals (carnival is however a public event in almost all cities and towns of the area), the Cologne Comedy Festival, Ruhrfestspiele Recklinghausen, and the RuhrTriennale, as well as Gamescom and other trade fairs at Koelnmesse—Cologne Trade Fair and Messe Düsseldorf; and Essen Motor Show in Essen. With a capacity of up to 20,000 people, the Lanxess Arena and Westfalenhallen are amongst the largest indoor arenas in Germany.

The region is home to a total of 13 Bundesliga football clubs, of which five are active in the season of 2017–18. The most successful among them are Borussia Dortmund, Borussia Mönchengladbach, 1. FC Köln, FC Schalke 04 and Bayer 04 Leverkusen. The Revierderby is the rivalry between Borussia Dortmund and Schalke 04, one of the most significant in German football. Westfalenstadion, the stadium of Borussia Dortmund, is the biggest stadium in Germany. The area had plans to bid for the 2032 Summer Olympics, before the IOC declared Brisbane to be the host.[24]

The Zeche Zollverein coal mine

Several tourist destinations within the region attract over 12 million tourists per year. Cologne Cathedral, Augustusburg and Falkenlust Palaces at Brühl and the Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex at Essen are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Other sights include Schloss Benrath in Düsseldorf and several anchor points of the European Route of Industrial Heritage.

NRW Forum, Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Kunsthalle Düsseldorf, Museum Koenig, Museum Ludwig, Romano-Germanic Museum, Wallraf-Richartz Museum, Neanderthal Museum, Museum Folkwang, Museum Ostwall, Lehmbruck Museum, German Mining Museum and Deutsches Museum Bonn are some of the most famous examples.

The Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region is home to nine universities and over 30 partly postgraduate colleges, with a total of over 300.000 students. The largest and oldest university is the University of Cologne (Universität zu Köln), founded in 1388 AD. Other universities include:

This map of the Rhine-Ruhr Area spans approximately 130 kilometers (81 mi) from north to south.

Cologne Cathedral at night

A view of Düsseldorf, the state capital of North Rhine-Westphalia

The skyline of Dortmund

The skyline of Essen

The skyline of Duisburg

The skyline of Bochum

The skyline of Wuppertal

View of Bonn

The following register lists all municipalities that officially belong to Rhine-Ruhr area. Demographically, these municipalities include 20 cities (German: Kreisfreie Städte) each with more than 100,000 inhabitants, and 11 districts (German: Kreis), each with a population of more than 250,000 inhabitants. Some districts only belong partly to Rhine-Ruhr area. In such a case only the municipalities that belong to the metro area are listed.

Cities independent of a Kreis
Municipality Inhabitants31 December 2009[25] Surfacekm2 Inhabitants per/km2
Bochum (BO) 376,319 145.44 2,587.45
Bonn (BN) 319,841 141.22 2,264.84
Bottrop (BOT) 117,241 100.61 1,165.3
Dortmund (DO) 581,308 280.39 2,073.21
Duisburg (DU) 491,931 232.81 2,113.01
Düsseldorf (D) 586,217 217.01 2,701.34
Essen (E) 576,259 210.38 2,739.13
Gelsenkirchen (GE) 259,744 104.86 2,477.06
Hagen (HA) 190,121 160.36 1,185.59
Hamm (HAM) 181,741 226.26 803.24
Herne (HER) 165,632 51.41 3,221.79
Cologne (K) 998,105 405.15 2,463.54
Krefeld (KR) 235,414 137.76 1,708.87
Leverkusen (LEV) 160,593 78.85 2,036.69
Mönchengladbach (MG) 258,251 170.45 1,515.11
Mülheim an der Ruhr (MH) 167,471 91.29 1,834.49
Oberhausen (OB) 214,024 77.04 2,778.09
Remscheid (RS) 111,422 74.60 1,493.59
Solingen (SG) 160,992 89.46 1,799.6
Wuppertal (W) 351,050 168.39 2,084.74
total/average 6,503,676 3,163.74 2,055.69
Kreise (districts) Municipality/Kreis (district) Inhabitants31 December 2009[25] Surface perkm2 Kreis Mettmann (ME) Erkrath 46,084 26.89 Haan 29,156 24.22 Heiligenhaus 26,818 27.47 Hilden 55,551 25.96 Langenfeld (Rheinland) 59,038 41.10 Mettmann 39,374 42.52 Monheim am Rhein 43,065 23.10 Ratingen 91,306 88.72 Velbert 84,633 74.90 Wülfrath 21,420 32.23 Kreis Unna (UN) Bergkamen 51,149 44.80 Bönen 18,630 38.02 Fröndenberg/Ruhr 22,135 56.21 Holzwickede 17,264 22.36 Kamen 44,803 40.93 Lünen 87,783 59.18 Schwerte 48,523 56.20 Selm 27,123 60.34 Unna 66,652 88.52 Werne 29,994 76.08 Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis (EN) Ennepetal 30,778 57.42 Gevelsberg 31,651 26.29 Hattingen 55,817 71.39 Herdecke 24,794 22.40 Schwelm 29,012 20.50 Sprockhövel 25,512 47.79 Wetter 28,221 31.47 Witten 98,601 72.37 Kreise (districts) Municipality/Kreis (district) Inhabitants31 December 2009[25] Surface perkm2 Märkischer Kreis (MK) Hemer 37,459 67.56 Iserlohn 95,232 125.50 Menden 56,078 86.06 Kreis Recklinghausen (RE) Castrop-Rauxel 75,752 51.66 Datteln 35,757 66.08 Dorsten 77,308 171.19 Gladbeck 75,520 35.91 Herten 62,639 37.32 Marl, North Rhine-Westphalia 88,202 87.63 Oer-Erkenschwick 30,499 38.69 Recklinghausen 119,050 66.43 Waltrop 29,837 46.99 Rhein-Erft-Kreis (BM) Bergheim 62,143 96.33 Brühl 44,259 36.12 Erftstadt 50,754 119.88 Frechen 49,752 45.11 Hürth 57,501 51.17 Kerpen 64,669 113.94 Wesseling 35,144 23.37 Rhein-Kreis Neuss (NE) Dormagen 62,924 85.41 Grevenbroich 64,039 102.46 Kaarst 41,841 37.40 Korschenbroich 33,116 55.26 Meerbusch 54,190 64.38 Neuss 151,280 99.48 Kreise (districts) Municipality/Kreis (district) Inhabitants31 December 2009[25] Surface perkm2 Rhein-Sieg-Kreis (SU) Alfter 22,895 34.77 Bornheim 48,544 82.71 Niederkassel 37,402 35.79 Sankt Augustin 55,524 34.23 Siegburg 39,654 23.46 Troisdorf 75,150 62.17 Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis (GL) Bergisch Gladbach 105,699 83.12 Burscheid 18,771 27.38 Leichlingen 27,476 37.33 Kreis Viersen (VIE) Kempen 36,040 68.81 Tönisvorst 30,084 44.33 Viersen 75,475 91.07 Willich 51,962 67.77 Kreis Wesel (WES) Dinslaken 69,687 47.67 Kamp-Lintfort 38,724 63.16 Moers 105,929 67.69 Neukirchen-Vluyn 27,627 43.48 Rheinberg 31,648 75.15 Voerde 37,668 53.48 Wesel 60,958 122.53 total 3,609,212 3,946.69

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