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Hamburg Metropolitan Region
open-in-new
<h2 id="history">History</h2> <p>On 1 January 2006 the office of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region opened, as agreed in a state treaty of cooperation (<i>Staatsvertrag über Zusammenarbeit</i>) between Hamburg, Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:1" href="#fn:1"><sup>1</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="geography">Geography</h2> <p>As of 2005, the Hamburg Metropolitan Region was made up of the city of Hamburg along with numerous rural districts in Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein, altogether comprising 800 cities, towns and municipalities with an overall land area of 19,802 square kilometres (7,646 sq mi).<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a> Since then it has expanded to cover the districts of <a href="/facts/Ludwigslust-Parchim/DTLwwQ4e">Ludwigslust-Parchim</a> (partially from 2012, entirely from 2017)<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a> and <a href="/facts/Nordwestmecklenburg/aYAhnBuQ">Nordwestmecklenburg</a> (from 2012)<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a> in the state of <a href="/facts/Mecklenburg-Vorpommern/9eYnXcY4">Mecklenburg-Vorpommern</a>. </p> <table><tbody><tr><td><p>States and districts</p><table><tbody><tr><th><a href="/facts/States_of_Germany/hIpruCeX">State</a></th><th><a href="/facts/Districts_of_Germany/qNDD9Gud">District</a>*</th><th>Population (2012)</th><th>Area </th><th>Pop. density (2012)</th></tr><tr><td> <a href="/facts/Hamburg/kmAAsYtT">Hamburg</a></td><td>–</td><td>1,813,587</td><td>755 km2</td><td>2,400/km2</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="8"> <a href="/facts/Lower_Saxony/fWt73Hu4">Lower Saxony</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Cuxhaven_(district)/o4KpMyKu">Cuxhaven</a></td><td>198,115</td><td>2,073 km2</td><td>96/km2</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Harburg_(district)/eMtkAw6w">Harburg</a></td><td>239,269</td><td>1,245 km2</td><td>190/km2</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/L%C3%BCchow-Dannenberg/uCSLCN8s">Lüchow-Dannenberg</a></td><td>49,082</td><td>1,220 km2</td><td>40/km2</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/L%C3%BCneburg_(district)/vgdNv9eI">Lüneburg</a></td><td>174,685</td><td>1,323 km2</td><td>130/km2</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Rotenburg_(district)/24wfA7Qk">Rotenburg</a></td><td>162,182</td><td>2,070 km2</td><td>78/km2</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Soltau-Fallingbostel/FR02T0F5">Soltau-Fallingbostel</a></td><td>136,072</td><td>1,873 km2</td><td>73/km2</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Stade_(district)/FyXnwGpE">Stade</a></td><td>195,606</td><td>1,266 km2</td><td>150/km2</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Uelzen_(district)/fe8MH7bw">Uelzen</a></td><td>93,284</td><td>1,454 km2</td><td>64/km2</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2"> <a href="/facts/Mecklenburg-Vorpommern/9eYnXcY4">Mecklenburg-Vorpommern</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Ludwigslust_(district)/JIBfzJeP">Ludwigslust</a>†</td><td>122,564</td><td>2,517 km2</td><td>49/km2</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Nordwestmecklenburg/aYAhnBuQ">Nordwestmecklenburg</a></td><td>155,801</td><td>2,117 km2</td><td>74/km2</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="9"> <a href="/facts/Schleswig-Holstein/FIFpSySG">Schleswig-Holstein</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Dithmarschen/KaUnPnKh">Dithmarschen</a></td><td>132,965</td><td>1,405 km2</td><td>95/km2</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Lauenburg_(district)/lkK13DQc">Lauenburg</a></td><td>187,905</td><td>1,263 km2</td><td>150/km2</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/L%C3%BCbeck/P1NoIQV1">Lübeck</a></td><td>211,713</td><td>214 km2</td><td>990/km2</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Neum%C3%BCnster/nJAnyjed">Neumünster</a></td><td>76,951</td><td>72 km2</td><td>1,100/km2</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Ostholstein/ynJAGPrQ">Ostholstein</a></td><td>197,882</td><td>1,391 km2</td><td>140/km2</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Pinneberg_(district)/RgmpWnKg">Pinneberg</a></td><td>298,826</td><td>664 km2</td><td>450/km2</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Segeberg/cBjnkj7t">Segeberg</a></td><td>261,988</td><td>1,334 km2</td><td>200/km2</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Steinburg/71hlxAUN">Steinburg</a></td><td>130,135</td><td>1,056 km2</td><td>120/km2</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Stormarn_(district)/mLzxqjxQ">Stormarn</a></td><td>232,911</td><td>766 km2</td><td>300/km2</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2">Hamburg Metropolitan Region<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a></td><td>4,990,307</td><td>26078 km2</td><td>191/km2</td></tr></tbody></table></td><td><p>Largest cities and towns</p><table><tbody><tr><th><a href="/facts/List_of_cities_in_Germany_by_population/zskUgyPk">City</a>* or <a href="/facts/List_of_cities_and_towns_in_Germany/0nWdLcRm">town</a></th><th>Population (2012)</th><th>Area </th><th>Pop. density (2012)</th></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Hamburg/kmAAsYtT">Hamburg</a></td><td>1,813,587</td><td>755 km2</td><td>2,400/km2</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/L%C3%BCbeck/P1NoIQV1">Lübeck</a></td><td>211,713</td><td>214 km2</td><td>990/km2</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Schwerin/bxz6akfS">Schwerin</a></td><td>95,818</td><td>130 km2</td><td>730/km2</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Neum%C3%BCnster/nJAnyjed">Neumünster</a></td><td>76,951</td><td>72 km2</td><td>1,100/km2</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Norderstedt/R9T9cjan">Norderstedt</a></td><td>74,574</td><td>58 km2</td><td>1,300/km2</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/L%C3%BCneburg/6UAlXTYf">Lüneburg</a></td><td>70,438</td><td>70 km2</td><td>1,000/km2</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Cuxhaven/7x0mrefy">Cuxhaven</a></td><td>48,829</td><td>162 km2</td><td>300/km2</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Elmshorn/TGmD9eCT">Elmshorn</a></td><td>47,490</td><td>21 km2</td><td>2,200/km2</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Stade/RTCSdsxb">Stade</a></td><td>45,198</td><td>110 km2</td><td>410/km2</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Wismar/a63cfTeS">Wismar</a></td><td>42,433</td><td>41 km2</td><td>1,000/km2</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Pinneberg/nmPyHnn9">Pinneberg</a></td><td>41,726</td><td>22 km2</td><td>1,900/km2</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Seevetal/kUzEfEue">Seevetal</a></td><td>39,921</td><td>105 km2</td><td>380/km2</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Buxtehude/5DwbMc76">Buxtehude</a></td><td>39,858</td><td>76 km2</td><td>520/km2</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Buchholz_in_der_Nordheide/EKRBzLb1">Buchholz i. d. N.</a></td><td>36,875</td><td>75 km2</td><td>490/km2</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Uelzen/ILVPbBku">Uelzen</a></td><td>33,467</td><td>136 km2</td><td>250/km2</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Winsen_(Luhe)/A5UrwLMS">Winsen (Luhe)</a></td><td>32,638</td><td>110 km2</td><td>300/km2</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Wedel/7X4FRL2L">Wedel</a></td><td>31,725</td><td>34 km2</td><td>940/km2</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Ahrensburg/1GX9TIcw">Ahrensburg</a></td><td>31,292</td><td>35 km2</td><td>890/km2</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Itzehoe/4tBpklrl">Itzehoe</a></td><td>30,956</td><td>28 km2</td><td>1,100/km2</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Geesthacht/DVYvfQnn">Geesthacht</a></td><td>29,098</td><td>33 km2</td><td>880/km2</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Reinbek/Nfc4d7ud">Reinbek</a></td><td>26,347</td><td>31 km2</td><td>840/km2</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table> <p>* Districts and independent (German: <i>kreisfrei</i>) cities. † Ludwigslust was merged into <a href="/facts/Ludwigslust-Parchim/DTLwwQ4e">Ludwigslust-Parchim</a> in 2011; pop. data for 2010 </p> District free city <h3>Larger Urban Zones</h3> <p>The Hamburg <a href="/facts/Larger_Urban_Zone/qhlA2jt6">Larger Urban Zone</a> (LUZ) as defined by Eurostat's <i>Urban Audit</i> covers an area of 7,303 km2 and in 2004 had a population of 3,134,620 inhabitants.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a> The Larger Urban Zone covers only the city of Hamburg and its directly neighbouring districts.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a> The Hamburg LUZ corresponds with the service area of the <a href="/facts/Hamburger_Verkehrsverbund/qb0toqyz">Hamburger Verkehrsverbund</a> (HVV) transport association with an average population density of at least 150 inhabitants/km2. </p> <table><tbody><tr><th><a href="/facts/States_of_Germany/hIpruCeX">State</a></th><th><a href="/facts/Districts_of_Germany/qNDD9Gud">District</a>*</th><th>Population (2012)</th><th>Area </th><th>Pop. density (2012)</th></tr><tr><td> <a href="/facts/Hamburg/kmAAsYtT">Hamburg</a></td><td>–</td><td>1,813,587</td><td>755 km2</td><td>2,400/km2</td></tr><tr><td> <a href="/facts/Lower_Saxony/fWt73Hu4">Lower Saxony</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Harburg_(district)/eMtkAw6w">Harburg</a></td><td>239,269</td><td>1,245 km2</td><td>190/km2</td></tr><tr><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Stade_(district)/FyXnwGpE">Stade</a></td><td>195,606</td><td>1,266 km2</td><td>150/km2</td></tr><tr><td> <a href="/facts/Schleswig-Holstein/FIFpSySG">Schleswig-Holstein</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Lauenburg_(district)/lkK13DQc">Lauenburg</a></td><td>187,905</td><td>1,263 km2</td><td>150/km2</td></tr><tr><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Pinneberg_(district)/RgmpWnKg">Pinneberg</a></td><td>298,826</td><td>664 km2</td><td>450/km2</td></tr><tr><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Segeberg/cBjnkj7t">Segeberg</a></td><td>261,988</td><td>1,334 km2</td><td>200/km2</td></tr><tr><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Stormarn_(district)/mLzxqjxQ">Stormarn</a></td><td>232,911</td><td>766 km2</td><td>300/km2</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2">Hamburg LUZ<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a></td><td>2,903,198</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td> <a href="/facts/Schleswig-Holstein/FIFpSySG">Schleswig-Holstein</a></td><td><a href="/facts/L%C3%BCbeck/P1NoIQV1">Lübeck</a></td><td>211,713</td><td>214.13 km2</td><td>990/km2</td></tr><tr><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Ostholstein/ynJAGPrQ">Ostholstein</a></td><td>197,882</td><td>1,391 km2</td><td>140/km2</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2">Lübeck LUZ<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a></td><td>391,373</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td> <a href="/facts/Bremen_(state)/rcaNPaQU">Bremen</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Bremerhaven/oWEkkt3D">Bremerhaven</a>†</td><td>112,895</td><td>78,87 km2</td><td>1,400/km2</td></tr><tr><td> <a href="/facts/Lower_Saxony/fWt73Hu4">Lower Saxony</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Cuxhaven_(district)/o4KpMyKu">Cuxhaven</a></td><td>198,115</td><td>2,073 km2</td><td>96/km2</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2">Bremerhaven LUZ<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13"><sup>13</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14"><sup>14</sup></a></td><td>288,635</td><td></td><td></td></tr></tbody></table> <p>* Districts and independent (German: <i>kreisfrei</i>) cities. † not part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region </p> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul> <li>Hamburg portal</li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Metropolitan_regions_in_Germany/R4sEBRDs">Metropolitan regions in Germany</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/List_of_metropolitan_areas_in_the_European_Union_by_GDP/PP4zc0YT">List of metropolitan areas in the European Union by GDP</a></li></ul> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <ul><li><a href="http://english.metropolregion.hamburg.de/">Metropolregion Hamburg</a> - official webpage</li></ul> <p><a href="https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=Hamburg_Metropolitan_Region¶ms=53.5_N_10.0_E_scale:1000000">53°30′N 10°00′E / 53.5°N 10.0°E / 53.5; 10.0</a> </p> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>Impressum - metropolregion Hamburg (in German), retrieved 25 March 2009 <a href="http://metropolregion.hamburg.de/impressum/" target="_blank">http://metropolregion.hamburg.de/impressum/</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>Hamburg Metropolitan Area fact sheet (PDF), Statistical office Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein (Statistisches Amt für Hamburg und Schleswig-Holstein), 2006, archived from the original (PDF) on 18 January 2009, retrieved 25 March 2009 <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20090118053651/http://www.statistik-nord.de/fileadmin/download/faltblaetter/Metropolregion_englisch.pdf" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20090118053651/http://www.statistik-nord.de/fileadmin/download/faltblaetter/Metropolregion_englisch.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>"Metropolregion Hamburg / Landkreis Ludwigslust-Parchim". <a href="http://www.kreis-lup.de/leben-im-landkreis/regionalentwicklung/metropolregion-hamburg/" target="_blank">http://www.kreis-lup.de/leben-im-landkreis/regionalentwicklung/metropolregion-hamburg/</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>"Metropolregion Hamburg Landkreis Nordwestmecklenburg". <a href="https://www.nordwestmecklenburg.de/de/metropolregion-hamburg/metropolregion-hamburg.html" target="_blank">https://www.nordwestmecklenburg.de/de/metropolregion-hamburg/metropolregion-hamburg.html</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>Bevölkerungsstand und Bevölkerungsdichte am 31.12.2012, Metropolregion Hamburg, 2013 <a href="http://metropolregion.hamburg.de/statistikportal-tabelle-bevoelkerung/" target="_blank">http://metropolregion.hamburg.de/statistikportal-tabelle-bevoelkerung/</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>Flächennutzung: Siedlungs- und Verkehrsfläche nach Art der tatsächlichen Nutzung am 31.12.2012, Metropolregion Hamburg, 2013 <a href="http://metropolregion.hamburg.de/statistikportal-tabelle-flaechennutzung/" target="_blank">http://metropolregion.hamburg.de/statistikportal-tabelle-flaechennutzung/</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>"Hamburg". Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 15 June 2009. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110716031035/http://www.urbanaudit.org/CityProfiles.aspx?CityCode=DE002C&CountryCode=DE" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20110716031035/http://www.urbanaudit.org/CityProfiles.aspx?CityCode=DE002C&CountryCode=DE</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>http://www.staedtestatistik.de/508.html Archived 2011-10-07 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 15 June 2009. <a href="http://www.staedtestatistik.de/508.html" target="_blank">http://www.staedtestatistik.de/508.html</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>Population by larger urban zone, eurostat, 2014 <a href="http://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/show.do?wai=true&dataset=urb_lpopcb" target="_blank">http://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/show.do?wai=true&dataset=urb_lpopcb</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>Map of metro regions[permanent dead link], eurostat, 2012 <a href="http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/region_cities/documents/Map%20metro-regions%202010.pdf" target="_blank">http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/region_cities/documents/Map%20metro-regions%202010.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>Population by larger urban zone, eurostat, 2014 <a href="http://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/show.do?wai=true&dataset=urb_lpopcb" target="_blank">http://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/show.do?wai=true&dataset=urb_lpopcb</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:12"><p>Map of metro regions[permanent dead link], eurostat, 2012 <a href="http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/region_cities/documents/Map%20metro-regions%202010.pdf" target="_blank">http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/region_cities/documents/Map%20metro-regions%202010.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:13"><p>Population by larger urban zone, eurostat, 2014 <a href="http://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/show.do?wai=true&dataset=urb_lpopcb" target="_blank">http://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/show.do?wai=true&dataset=urb_lpopcb</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:14"><p>Map of metro regions[permanent dead link], eurostat, 2012 <a href="http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/region_cities/documents/Map%20metro-regions%202010.pdf" target="_blank">http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/region_cities/documents/Map%20metro-regions%202010.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>