Heerhugowaard facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Heerhugowaard
City
Images from top, left to right: Stad van de Zon, Veenhuizer windmill, Cool theatre, shopping centre Middenwaard.
Flag Coat of arms
Motto(s):  City Of Opportunities
Location of the former municipality of Heerhugowaard in North Holland
Country	Netherlands
Province	North Holland
Municipality	Dijk en Waard
Founded by	Huygen Dijck
Area
• Total	39.99 km2 (15.44 sq mi)
• Land	38.40 km2 (14.83 sq mi)
• Water	1.59 km2 (0.61 sq mi)
Elevation	−3 m (−9.8 ft)
Population  (May 2014)
• Total	53,321
• Density	1,389/km2 (3,600/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Heerhugowaarder (Informal) Reiger
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postcode	1700–1705
Area code	072

Heerhugowaard is a city in the Netherlands. It is located in the province of North Holland, within the West Friesland region.

Until January 1, 2022, Heerhugowaard was its own municipality. It then joined with the former municipality of Langedijk. Together, they formed the new municipality of Dijk en Waard.

Discovering Heerhugowaard's Past

Around the year 800, the area where Heerhugowaard now stands was covered in peat fen. Over time, digging for peat and big storms created many lakes. One of these lakes was called Heerhugowaard.

The name "Heerhugowaard" comes from a lord named Hugo van Assendelft. He was killed by the West Frisians in this area in 1296. After two major storms in 1248, a group called the abbey of Egmond built a protective dam. This dam became part of the Westfriese Omringdijk, a large dike that protected the region.

In the 1600s, private investors decided to drain the lake. Their goal was to create new farmland. By 1630, the land was dry, and the 39.0 km² (15.1 sq mi) area was shared among the investors. However, the new land was not very good for farming. In 1674, some even suggested refilling the polder because fishing might be more profitable.

A fun fact from Heerhugowaard's history is the first-ever Keegelfestival in 1961. Princess Margriet surprisingly won this bowling event. The festival happened every year until 1984.

Exploring Heerhugowaard's Geography

Heerhugowaard is part of the North-Holland province in the western Netherlands. The land here is very flat because it's made of large polders. A polder is land that was once underwater and has been drained. Heerhugowaard itself is about 3 meters (10 feet) below sea level! The city of Alkmaar is located to the southwest.

A Look at the Area

Map of Heerhugowaard (town), 2014.

Understanding the Climate

Heerhugowaard has a cool oceanic climate. This means it's strongly affected by the nearby North Sea. Winds usually come from the northwest, and gales (strong winds) are common. Winters are cool but not usually freezing cold.

Heerhugowaard is in USDA Hardiness zone 9. This is the northernmost place in continental Europe to have this zone. Frosts mainly happen when cold winds blow from inner European continent. Even then, it rarely gets colder than −5 °C (23 °F) at night. This is because Heerhugowaard is surrounded by large bodies of water. The city also has a "heat island effect," meaning it stays a bit warmer than the countryside.

Summers are warm but not often extremely hot. The average high temperature in August is around 23 °C (73.4 °F).

Heerhugowaard gets about 871 millimetres (34.3 in) of rain each year. It rains on about 189 days per year. Most of the rain is light drizzle, making cloudy and damp days common from October to March. Sometimes, strong windstorms bring heavy rain. This water then needs to be pumped out to higher ground or into the sea.

City Life in Heerhugowaard

Heerhugowaard is made up of several towns, villages, and districts. These include Broekhorn, Butterhuizen, De Noord, Draai, Frik, Kabel, 't Kruis, Veenhuizen, Verlaat, Oostertocht, Bomenwijk, Schilderswijk, Rivierenwijk, Edelstenenwijk, and Stad van de Zon.

How the City Has Grown

Heerhugowaard's population has grown a lot over the years. In 1960, about 6,800 people lived here. By 2021, that number had grown to over 58,000! For a few years in the 1970s, Heerhugowaard was the fastest-growing municipality in the Netherlands.

Most people live in newer areas called Vinex-districts. The older, rural part of the north is in Middenwaard. The southern core is near the old church on Stationsweg. In the polders, you can find small hamlets. Many parts of the town are new developments.

Heerhugowaard has neighborhoods designed like those in Almere. For example, there's a writer's district, a tree district, and a planet district. In two of the newest areas, called Stad van de Zon I and II (City of the Sun I and II), much of the energy comes from solar energy.

Green Spaces: Parks

The areas around Heerhugowaard are quite diverse. You'll see lots of farmland, including fields of colorful flower bulbs to the east. In the mid-1980s, a large forest called the "Waarderhout" was planted. It covers 61 hectares (about 150 acres).

Shopping at Middenwaard

One popular shopping centre in Heerhugowaard is Middenwaard. This mall was built in five stages, starting in 1974. The last part was finished in 2008, and it has been updated since then.

Middenwaard has many different stores and services. Some of the well-known shops include:

Getting Around: Transport

Heerhugowaard has good transport connections. Buses travel to nearby places like Alkmaar, Bergen NH, Broek Op Langedijk, and Ursem. There are also special express bus links called Interliner.

The Heerhugowaard railway station connects to several train routes. You can take trains to Hoorn and Den Helder. Other routes go to Alkmaar – Amsterdam – Nijmegen, and Alkmaar – Haarlem – The Hague. Heerhugowaard is also located on the N242, N508, and N507 roads.

International Connections: Sister City

Heerhugowaard has one sister city. This means it has a special friendship with a city in another country.

Famous People from Heerhugowaard

Many interesting people have come from Heerhugowaard.

• Theodorus Dekker (1927 – 2021) was a Dutch mathematician. He created an important method called Dekker's algorithm.
• Max Zonneveld (1939-1987) was a Dutch man. He was part of a cult run by his family. This was made public on September 28, 2024.

Sports Stars

Heerhugowaard has also produced several talented athletes.

• Rudi Lubbers (born 1945) is a retired Dutch boxer. He competed in the 1964 and 1968 Summer Olympics.
• Monique van der Lee (born 1973) is a former Dutch judoka. She competed in the 1992 Summer Olympics.
• Anousjka van Exel (born 1974) is a Dutch former tennis player.
• Arvid Smit (born 1980) is a football coach and former professional footballer. He played in 224 club games.
• Stefanie van der Gragt (born 1992) is a Dutch footballer.
• Tess Wester (born 1993) is a Dutch handball player. She is a goalkeeper for Odense Håndbold and the Dutch national team.

Tess Wester, 2018

Images for kids

• 

  Earth and water, by Nic Jonk in Dolomiet Square

• 

  Poldermuseum Heerhugowaard

• 

  Dutch Reformed Church - Heerhugowaard

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  Heerhugowaard-Alkmaar 2011

• 

  Veenhuizer windmill

See also

In Spanish: Heerhugowaard para niños