Almere

Almere is a planned city and municipality in the province of Flevoland, Netherlands, located across the IJmeer from Amsterdam. It is the newest city in the Netherlands, built on land that was reclaimed from the IJsselmeer Lake between 1959 and 1968. The first house was completed in 1976, and Almere became an official municipality in 1984.

The city is made up of several areas, including Almere Stad, Almere Buiten, Almere Haven, Almere Hout, Almere Poort, and Almere Pampus. Almere is part of the larger Amsterdam area and is growing quickly. In 2021, it had around 214,715 people, and by April 2025, the population was estimated to be about 230,500. Plans are in place to expand the city to hold up to 350,000 people by the year 2030.

History

The land for Almere was meant for farming. But in the early 1960s, plans changed. After World War II, more homes were needed for the growing number of people in Amsterdam. Two new towns were planned. One became Lelystad. The other in Zuidelijk Flevoland was first called Zuidweststad, but later named Almere after the lake Almere. The first house in Almere was finished in 1976. Almere became an official municipality in 1984. Originally, Almere was planned to have many town centers, but this idea changed. In the 1970s, homes were simple. Later, more special homes were built.

Governance

Local executive

Hein van der Loo (independent) has been mayor of Almere since March 2023. The municipal council has members from a coalition of several parties.

List of mayors

• 1984–1986: Han Lammers (PvdA)
• 1986–1993: Cees de Cloe (PvdA)
• 1993–1994: Cees Roozemond (PvdA, acting)
• 1994–1998: Ralph Pans (PvdA)
• 1998–2003: Hans Ouwerkerk (PvdA)
• 2003–2003: Jaap van der Doef (PvdA, acting)
• 2003–2015: Annemarie Jorritsma (VVD)
• 2015–2022: Franc Weerwind (D66)
• 2022–2023: Ank Bijleveld (CDA, acting)
• 2023-current: Hein van der Loo (independent)

Municipal council

The first municipal council met on 2 January 1984. The elections happened on 21 September 1983. Before 1984, Almere had an Adviesraad, chosen every 2 years. This Adviesraad was like a local council. On 11 March 1977 the first adviescommissie was elected. It had 5 people chosen for their personal titles. Since 2018, the council of Almere has 45 members.

* Labour/GroenLinks will share a list at the 2026 election.

International relations

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in the Netherlands

Twin cities

Almere has friendly links with cities in other parts of the world. These are called twin cities.

Geography

Almere is in the polder of Southern Flevoland. It is the westernmost town in the province of Flevoland. Almere borders Markermeer to the west and north, Lelystad to the northeast, Zeewolde to the east, and Gooimeer to the south.

Almere has three boroughs and three districts. Some of these areas are still being built.

Climate

Almere has an oceanic climate. The winters are mild, and the summers are warm. It rains during all seasons.

Demography

Inhabitants by origin

Total population

Culture

In 2004, a special area in Almere named Stripheldenbuurt was created. The streets there are named after famous comics characters and cartoonists. This idea began with the owner of a comics store in Amsterdam.

Sport

Almere is where the football team Almere City FC plays. It is also home to the American football team FlevoPhantoms and the professional basketball team the Almere Sailors.

Transport

Almere's traffic system is easy to understand. It has special paths for bicycles, cars, and buses. Buses often have their own lane to help them move faster. Almere connects to big roads called A6 and A27.

Railway

In 1987, Almere got its first train connection through the Flevolijn line, linking Weesp to Lelystad Centrum. Today, Almere has six train stations:

• Almere Poort (opened December 9, 2012)
• Almere Muziekwijk (opened May 30, 1987)
• Almere Centrum (opened May 30, 1987)
• Almere Parkwijk (opened on February 1, 1996)
• Almere Buiten (opened May 30, 1987)
• Almere Oostvaarders (opened December 12, 2004)

Public buses

Local bus lines

Almere has 10 bus lines for the city. From Monday to Friday, most buses come every 5 minutes during the day. On Saturdays, buses come every 7.5 minutes, but most run every 12–15 minutes. On Sundays, buses usually come every 15 minutes, with some extra buses at certain times. There are also special night buses on Monday to Saturday nights.

The main bus company is Keolis Netherlands, and local buses use a special card or tickets that can be bought on the bus or at certain spots in downtown.

Regional bus lines

There are also buses that go to nearby towns and cities. One bus line, number 159, is run by a company called Connexxion. A special bus line to Utrecht used to run but stopped in 2016 because of budget cuts.

Notable residents

Almere has been home to many interesting people. Some are known for their work in gardening, politics, and entertainment. Others have made their mark in sports.

Sport

Many athletes from Almere have achieved great things. They have played football, competed in tennis, and even won medals in the Olympics.