Lelystad facts for kids

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Lelystad

City and Municipality

Aerial view of the city

Zuil van Lely in the city center

Batavia Stad

Zilverparkkade

Replica of the Batavia

Bataviahaven

Flag
Coat of arms	Brandmark

Location in Flevoland

Lelystad

Location in Flevoland

Lelystad

Location in Netherlands

Lelystad

Location in Europe

Region

Amsterdam metropolitan area

Established

1 January 1967

Government

• Body

Municipal council

Area

• Total

765.45 km² (295.54 sq mi)

• Land

231.54 km² (89.40 sq mi)

• Water

533.91 km² (206.14 sq mi)

Elevation

−3 m (−9.8 ft)

Population

(May 2014)

• Total

76,285

• Density

329/km² (850/sq mi)

Time zone

UTC+1 (CET)

• Summer (DST)

UTC+2 (CEST)

Postcode

8200–8249

Area code

0320

Lelystad is a city and a municipality in the central Netherlands. It is the capital city of the province of Flevoland. This unique city was built on land that was once covered by the sea!

Lelystad was founded in 1967. It was named after Cornelis Lely, a brilliant engineer. He designed the Afsluitdijk, a huge dam that made it possible to reclaim land from the sea. Lelystad is special because it sits about three metres (10 feet) below sea level.

Discovering Lelystad's Past

Lelystad is built on what used to be the bottom of the Zuiderzee, a large inland sea. Thousands of years ago, this area was dry land where people lived. Over time, the land slowly sank, and water levels rose. This led to the formation of a big lake, which eventually became the Zuiderzee.

From Sea to Land: How Lelystad Was Built

The Zuiderzee was an important route for ships traveling between Amsterdam and the North Sea. Many ships sank here over the centuries. Today, Lelystad is home to the National Centre for Maritime History. It has a museum and a shipyard where they built a replica of the famous 17th-century ship, the Batavia.

After World War II, a big project called the Zuiderzee Works continued. This project aimed to create new land, called a polder, from the sea. In 1950, workers started building islands in the middle of the IJsselmeer (which was once part of the Zuiderzee). Lelystad-Haven was the biggest island. It housed the people who built the dikes.

By 1955, these islands were connected to the mainland. This meant you could finally drive to Lelystad! In 1957, giant pumping stations drained the water from the polder. For ten years, only engineers and workers lived in Lelystad. The city officially opened to everyone in 1967.

Who Lives in Lelystad?

Lelystad is a diverse city with people from many different backgrounds.

About 65% of the people have Dutch parents.
Around 23% have parents born in a non-Western country.
About 12% have parents born in a Western country.

Many people in Lelystad have Surinamese roots. There are also large Moroccan and Turkish communities. Most residents from non-Western backgrounds live in the eastern and northeastern parts of the city.

Lelystad's Weather

Climate data for Lelystad (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1990−present)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	14.3 (57.7)	18.8 (65.8)	23.2 (73.8)	29.6 (85.3)	32.2 (90.0)	33.1 (91.6)	37.5 (99.5)	34.7 (94.5)	32.0 (89.6)	26.0 (78.8)	19.9 (67.8)	14.6 (58.3)	37.5 (99.5)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	5.7 (42.3)	6.5 (43.7)	10.0 (50.0)	14.4 (57.9)	18.0 (64.4)	20.4 (68.7)	22.6 (72.7)	22.5 (72.5)	19.1 (66.4)	14.4 (57.9)	9.5 (49.1)	6.2 (43.2)	14.1 (57.4)
Daily mean °C (°F)	3.2 (37.8)	3.5 (38.3)	6.0 (42.8)	9.5 (49.1)	13.2 (55.8)	15.8 (60.4)	17.8 (64.0)	17.6 (63.7)	14.6 (58.3)	10.7 (51.3)	6.8 (44.2)	3.9 (39.0)	10.2 (50.4)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	0.6 (33.1)	0.4 (32.7)	2.0 (35.6)	4.3 (39.7)	8.0 (46.4)	10.8 (51.4)	12.7 (54.9)	12.4 (54.3)	10.1 (50.2)	6.9 (44.4)	3.9 (39.0)	1.4 (34.5)	6.1 (43.0)
Record low °C (°F)	−16.6 (2.1)	−22.9 (−9.2)	−17.8 (0.0)	−6.4 (20.5)	−1.6 (29.1)	1.8 (35.2)	5.0 (41.0)	4.2 (39.6)	2.4 (36.3)	−4.8 (23.4)	−8.3 (17.1)	−16.9 (1.6)	−22.9 (−9.2)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	67.7 (2.67)	57.2 (2.25)	55.1 (2.17)	42.3 (1.67)	57.2 (2.25)	67.0 (2.64)	91.4 (3.60)	92.1 (3.63)	74.2 (2.92)	76.3 (3.00)	69.7 (2.74)	73.9 (2.91)	824.1 (32.44)
Average relative humidity (%)	88.9	86.5	82.0	76.1	75.3	78.0	79.6	80.8	84.4	87.3	90.4	90.5	83.3
Mean monthly sunshine hours	66.6	95.6	146.2	194.5	227.1	213.3	222.5	200.9	156.6	122.0	68.8	57.0	1,771.1
Percent possible sunshine	25.9	34.1	39.4	46.6	46.6	42.5	44.1	44.0	41.0	36.9	26.0	23.7	37.6
Source: Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute

Exploring Lelystad's Landscape

Lelystad is the largest municipality in the Netherlands by area. However, a big part of this area is water, like the Markermeer and IJsselmeer lakes.

Nature and Art in the Landscape

Another important area is the famous nature park called Oostvaardersplassen. This park formed naturally when the South Flevoland polder was drained. Lelystad is also surrounded by forests, parks, and flat farmland. The beauty of the landscape and sky is highlighted by special land art pieces. One example is the Observatorium by Robert Morris.

New Islands for Wildlife

The artificial islands of Marker Wadden are located just northwest of Lelystad. Building these islands started in 2016. The first islands have already become important places for wildlife. Many kinds of birds come to these islands during their breeding season.

Fun Things to Do in Lelystad

Lelystad has many exciting places to visit and events to enjoy:

The replica of the 17th-century ship Batavia at the Batavia Shipyard.
Batavia Stad Fashion Outlet, a great place for shopping.
Hanzestad Compagnie, a group of old sailing ships.
Lelystad Nature Park, perfect for outdoor adventures.
National Aviation Theme Park Aviodrome, where you can learn all about airplanes.
Modern buildings like the Zilverparkkade and the Agora Theatre.

Lelystad also hosts many fun events throughout the year. These include the Lelystad Airshow, the Water Festival, and the National Old Timer Day. If you like racing, you can find motor, kart, and stock car events at the Midland Circuit. There are also several marinas along the coast for boats.

Getting Around Lelystad

You can reach Lelystad by air, water, and land.

Travel by Air

Lelystad Airport is the biggest airport in the Netherlands for smaller planes. It is owned by Schiphol Group. The airport has been expanded with a new passenger terminal and a longer runway. The original idea was for it to become a main airport for travelers, helping to reduce traffic at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport. However, due to various reasons, the airport has not yet opened for commercial passenger flights.

Travel by Water

Lelystad has a small inland port and several marinas for boats. It also has a system of canals. These canals help manage water levels in the polder. The canal system connects to the Markermeer lake through a lock and links the city to other towns in the polder.

Travel by Train

The Weesp–Lelystad railway (called Flevolijn) goes south from Lelystad Centrum railway station. It connects Lelystad to Almere and the larger Randstad region. The Lelystad–Zwolle railway (called Hanzelijn) goes north from Lelystad. It connects the city to Dronten, Kampen, and Zwolle.

Travel by Car: Motorways

The A6 motorway runs along the eastern side of Lelystad. There are three exits that connect the city to this motorway. You can travel north to Emmeloord and the province of Friesland, or south to Almere and the Randstad region.

Travel by Car: Provincial Roads

The N302 road connects Lelystad southeast to Harderwijk and the province of Gelderland.
The N307 road crosses the Houtribdijk to Enkhuizen in North Holland. It also connects to Dronten and Kampen in Overijssel.
The N309 road connects Lelystad to Dronten and then to Elburg in Gelderland.

Lelystad's Symbols: Shield and Flag

The symbols of Lelystad tell a story about the city's history.

The City's Shield

The honeycomb pattern on Lelystad's shield represents the dikes. These dikes are built with special six-sided concrete or basalt blocks. The gold color shows how expensive it was to create the polder. The small shield in the middle is the symbol of engineer Cornelis Lely, who made it all possible. The sea lions on the shield remind us of the land's past, when it was covered by the sea.

The City's Flag

On the flag, a fleur-de-lis (which looks like a lily) is in the center. This flower refers to Cornelis Lely's name. The yellow background represents the valuable new land. The blue lines stand for the dikes and waterways. The flag of the province of Flevoland also uses the fleur-de-lis to honor Lely.

Famous People from Lelystad

Many talented people have lived in Lelystad:

Abraham Bueno de Mesquita (1918–2005), a comedian and actor.
Nancy van Overveldt (1930-2015), an artist.
Hans Gruijters (1931–2005), a politician and journalist.
Hubert Fermina (1948-2022), a nurse and politician.
Gylan Kain (1942-2024), an American poet and playwright.
Michiel van Hulten (born 1969), a former politician and MEP.
Edsilia Rombley (born 1978), a singer.
Rianne ten Haken (born 1986), a Dutch model.

Sports Stars from Lelystad

Co Stompé (born 1962), a retired professional darts player.
Aron Winter (born 1967), a retired football player and manager.
Ivan Sokolov (born 1968), a chess grandmaster.
Chiel Warners (born 1978), a former decathlete.
Charles Zwolsman Jr. (born 1979), a racing car driver.
Karin Ruckstuhl (born 1980), a former heptathlete.
Guido van der Valk (born 1980), a professional golfer.
Ruben Schaken (born 1982), a football player.
Niels de Ruiter (born 1983), a former darts player and director.
Thijs van Valkengoed (born 1983), a breaststroke swimmer who competed in the Olympics.
Boy Waterman (born 1984), a football goalkeeper.
Daan Brandenburg (born 1987), a chess grandmaster.
Nathaniël Will (born 1989), a footballer.
Benjamin Bok (born 1995), a chess grandmaster.
Alex Vlaar (born 1996), a Dutch-Bulgarian badminton player.
Devyne Rensch (born 2003), a football player for AFC Ajax and the Netherlands national football team.