{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}} {{Infobox settlement <!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions --> <!-- Name and transliteration -->| name = Den Helder | settlement_type = Municipality <!-- Images, nickname, motto -->| image_skyline = Den Helder, watertoren 2006-08-06 10.28.JPG | image_alt = Den Helder_watertoren | image_caption = Den Helder water tower in the village | image_flag = | flag_size = 100x67px | flag_alt = | image_shield = Coat of arms of Den Helder.svg | shield_size = 100x80px | shield_alt = <!-- Maps, coordinates --> | image_map = Map - NL - Municipality code 0400 (2009).svg | map_alt = Highlighted position of Den Helder in a municipal map of North Holland | map_caption = Location in North Holland | coordinates = {{coord|52|56|N|4|45|E|region:NL|display=inline,title}} | coordinates_footnotes = | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = Netherlands | subdivision_type1 = Province | subdivision_name1 = North Holland | government_footnotes = <ref name="mayor_now">{{cite web |url=http://www.denhelder.nl/bestuur-en-organisatie/samenstelling-college_3801/ |title=Samenstelling college |trans-title=Members of the board |language=nl |publisher=Gemeente Den Helder |access-date=26 February 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140302133711/http://www.denhelder.nl/bestuur-en-organisatie/samenstelling-college_3801/ |archive-date=2 March 2014 }}</ref> | governing_body = Municipal council | leader_party = D66 | leader_title = Mayor | leader_name = {{ill|Jan de Boer (politician)|lt=Jan de Boer|nl|Jan de Boer (D66)}} <!-- Geographic information -->| unit_pref = Metric <!-- ALL fields with measurements have automatic unit conversion --> <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->| area_footnotes = <ref>{{Dutch municipality total area|dataref}}</ref> <!-- square kilometers -->| area_total_km2 = {{Dutch municipality total area|Den Helder}} | area_land_km2 = {{Dutch municipality land area|Den Helder}} | area_water_km2 = {{Dutch municipality water area|Den Helder}} | elevation_footnotes = <ref name="AHN">{{cite web |url = http://www.ahn.nl/postcodetool |title = Postcodetool for 1784MC |language = nl |author = <!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |work = Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland |publisher = Het Waterschapshuis |access-date = 26 February 2014 |archive-date = 21 September 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130921053543/http://www.ahn.nl/postcodetool |url-status = dead }}</ref> | elevation_m = 1 | elevation_max_footnotes = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags --> | elevation_max_m = | elevation_min_footnotes = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags --> | elevation_min_m = <!-- Population, demographics --> | population_footnotes = <ref>{{Dutch municipality population|dataref}}</ref> | population_total = 56369 | population_as_of = December 2021 | population_density_km2 = {{Dutch municipality population density|Den Helder}} <!-- For automatic calculation: auto--> | population_demonym = Heldernaar <!-- Other information -->| timezone = CET | utc_offset = +1 | timezone_DST = CEST | utc_offset_DST = +2 | postal_code_type = Postcode | postal_code = 1780–1789 | area_code_type = Area code | area_code = 0223 | website = {{URL|1=http://www.denhelder.nl}} | footnotes = }}
'''Den Helder''' ({{IPA|nl|dɛn ˈɦɛldər|-|Nl-Den Helder.ogg}}) is an industrial port town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. Den Helder occupies the northernmost point of the North Holland peninsula. It is home to the country's main naval base. From here, the Royal TESO ferryboat service operates the transportation link between Den Helder and the nearby Dutch Wadden island of Texel to the north.
== Etymology == Before the year 1928, the official name of Den Helder was Helder. The origin of the name Helder is not entirely clear. The name may have come from ''Helle/Helde'', which means "hill" or "hilly grounds", or from ''Helre'', which means a sandy ridge. Another explanation is that the name derived from ''Helsdeur'' (Hell's Door), likely because in the water between Den Helder and Texel (called Marsdiep) the current was so strong that many ships were lost.
== History == thumb|Satellite image (May 2007) [[File:Vuurtoren-Huisduinen.jpg|thumb|''Lange Jaap'' lighthouse]] Huisduinen was the original, older part of the city, whereas Helder itself was a nearby, smaller hamlet. When a harbour was built near Helder, the village began to grow and later became the seat of governance instead of Huisduinen. Due to its strategic location at the tip of the North Holland peninsula, multiple fortifications were built in the area.
Den Helder has played an important part in Dutch shipping. During the Dutch Golden Age, ships would be assembled near Den Helder and sail the world's oceans from there.
On 23{{nbsp}}January 1795, the French captured 14 Dutch ships and 850 guns in the town's deep-frozen harbour.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=tW_eEVbVxpEC&dq=texel+january+1795&pg=PA1009 Tony Jaques, ''Dictionary of Battles and Sieges: P-Z'', p.1009]</ref> In 1799, the city was the target of the Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland.
During the 1820s, the North Holland Canal was dug from Amsterdam to Den Helder. The lighthouse ''Lange Jaap'' was built in 1877 and is the tallest cast-iron lighthouse in Europe, at {{convert|63.45|m|ft|sp=us}}. In the Second World War, most of the city was evacuated, and the old city center was destroyed.
== Geography == === Climate === Den Helder is on the tip of a lowland peninsula jutting out into the North Sea . Because of this, Den Helder's climate is heavily moderated by the maritime environment. Also, Den Helder is one of the sunniest towns in the Netherlands.<ref>[https://www.knmi.nl/klimaat-viewer/grafieken-tabellen/klimaattabellen-per-station (Dutch) Climate table, per station.] KNMI.nl, retrieved 12 January 2021.</ref>
{{Weather box |width=15 |location = De Kooy, Den Helder (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1906–present) |metric first = Yes |single line = Yes |Jan record high C = 13.7 |Feb record high C = 17.2 |Mar record high C = 20.5 |Apr record high C = 27.9 |May record high C = 31.0 |Jun record high C = 31.7 |Jul record high C = 34.8 |Aug record high C = 33.8 |Sep record high C = 32.6 |Oct record high C = 25.1 |Nov record high C = 17.7 |Dec record high C = 15.3 |year record high C = 34.8 |Jan high C = 6.0 |Feb high C = 6.2 |Mar high C = 8.7 |Apr high C = 12.4 |May high C = 15.8 |Jun high C = 18.5 |Jul high C = 20.8 |Aug high C = 21.1 |Sep high C = 18.3 |Oct high C = 14.3 |Nov high C = 10.0 |Dec high C = 7.0 |year high C = 13.3 |Jan mean C = 4.0 |Feb mean C = 3.9 |Mar mean C = 5.9 |Apr mean C = 9.0 |May mean C = 12.4 |Jun mean C = 15.2 |Jul mean C = 17.5 |Aug mean C = 17.8 |Sep mean C = 15.4 |Oct mean C = 11.6 |Nov mean C = 7.8 |Dec mean C = 5.0 |year mean C = 10.5 |Jan low C = 1.7 |Feb low C = 1.4 |Mar low C = 3.0 |Apr low C = 5.5 |May low C = 9.0 |Jun low C = 11.8 |Jul low C = 14.1 |Aug low C = 14.4 |Sep low C = 12.1 |Oct low C = 8.7 |Nov low C = 5.2 |Dec low C = 2.6 |year low C = 7.5 |Jan record low C = -18.8 |Feb record low C = -20.0 |Mar record low C = -16.0 |Apr record low C = -5.1 |May record low C = -4.0 |Jun record low C = -0.3 |Jul record low C = 4.2 |Aug record low C = 3.9 |Sep record low C = 0.9 |Oct record low C = -6.0 |Nov record low C = -11.9 |Dec record low C = -13.4 |year record low C = -20.0 |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation mm = 65.6 |Feb precipitation mm = 50.1 |Mar precipitation mm = 43.7 |Apr precipitation mm = 34.9 |May precipitation mm = 42.0 |Jun precipitation mm = 58.7 |Jul precipitation mm = 62.5 |Aug precipitation mm = 89.1 |Sep precipitation mm = 84.7 |Oct precipitation mm = 96.5 |Nov precipitation mm = 83.5 |Dec precipitation mm = 75.3 |year precipitation mm = 786.6 |unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm |Jan precipitation days = 12.1 |Feb precipitation days = 10.6 |Mar precipitation days = 9.0 |Apr precipitation days = 7.7 |May precipitation days = 8.2 |Jun precipitation days = 8.6 |Jul precipitation days = 9.4 |Aug precipitation days = 10.9 |Sep precipitation days = 11.8 |Oct precipitation days = 13.0 |Nov precipitation days = 14.3 |Dec precipitation days = 13.5 |year precipitation days = 129.1 |Jan humidity = 87.8 |Feb humidity = 86.3 |Mar humidity = 83.9 |Apr humidity = 80.5 |May humidity = 79.0 |Jun humidity = 79.1 |Jul humidity = 79.4 |Aug humidity = 79.1 |Sep humidity = 81.2 |Oct humidity = 83.3 |Nov humidity = 86.6 |Dec humidity = 87.5 |year humidity = 82.8 |Jan sun = 70.2 |Feb sun = 97.8 |Mar sun = 155.7 |Apr sun = 214.5 |May sun = 246.6 |Jun sun = 230.4 |Jul sun = 240.5 |Aug sun = 219.7 |Sep sun = 161.2 |Oct sun = 122.1 |Nov sun = 68.5 |Dec sun = 60.6 |year sun = 1887.8 |Jan percentsun = 27.6 |Feb percentsun = 35.0 |Mar percentsun = 42.2 |Apr percentsun = 51.3 |May percentsun = 50.4 |Jun percentsun = 45.7 |Jul percentsun = 47.4 |Aug percentsun = 48.0 |Sep percentsun = 42.2 |Oct percentsun = 36.9 |Nov percentsun = 26.0 |Dec percentsun = 25.5 |year percentsun =39.8 |source 1 = Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute<ref>{{cite web | url = https://weerstatistieken.nl/de-kooy | title = Weerstatistieken De Kooy | publisher = Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute | access-date = 24 June 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.knmi.nl/klimaat-viewer/grafieken-tabellen/meteorologische-stations/stations-maand/stations-maand_1991-2020 |title=Klimaatviewer 1991-2020 | publisher = Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute | access-date = 24 June 2022}}</ref>}}
=== Population centres === The municipality of Den Helder consists of the towns and villages of Den Helder, Huisduinen and Julianadorp, and the hamlets Friese Buurt and De Kooy.
The major areas of Den Helder are the Stad Binnen de Linie (a city within the city's defence line), Nieuw-Den Helder, and De Schooten. Nieuw-Den Helder was built in the 1950s, following World War II, when there was a great need for additional housing. De Schooten was constructed in the 1960s.
=== Topography === 470px
''Map of Den Helder (town), March 2014.''
== Naval base and fortifications == {{Main|Nieuwe Haven Naval Base}} Den Helder was the site of a naval base as early as the 18th century. An Anglo-Russian invasion force landed at Den Helder in August 1799 and captured the Batavian navy there (see Battle of Castricum). French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, visiting Den Helder in 1811, was impressed with the town's strategic location and ordered the construction of a fort (Kijkduin) and naval dockyards (Willemsoord). The docks were built during the years 1813–1827. In 1947, it officially became the Royal Netherlands Navy's main centre of operations. Den Helder continues to be the navy's main base today. The Royal Netherlands Naval College is also located in the city, as is the Dutch Navy Museum.
{{Main|Willemsoord, Den Helder}} The old naval dockyards of Willemsoord, located in the north of the city, now house restaurants, a cinema, and other recreational facilities. The naval docks and administration have been moved to a new location further east.
{{Main|Fortifications of Den Helder}} The Fortifications of Den Helder, which protected the naval base and the entrance to the Noordhollandsch Kanaal significantly altered the landscape around Den Helder. A number of the old fortresses have now been repurposed for tourism and related industries and can be visited.
== Transport == thumb|The watertower of Den Helder The town is served by two railway stations:
*Den Helder *Den Helder Zuid (South Den Helder)
Den Helder can be reached by these main roads: *N9 *N99 *N250 *N502
These roads all have only two lanes. There is no highway leading to Den Helder.
Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport is located {{convert|86|km|abbr=on}} south of Den Helder. NS operates train services between Den Helder and Schiphol.
== Local government == The municipal council of Den Helder consists of 31 seats, which divided as follows in the 2026 elections:<ref>{{cite web |date=18 March 2026 |title=Den Helder municipal election 2026 |url= https://www.verkiezingsuitslagen.nl/verkiezingen/detail/GR20260318/746512 |access-date=23 May 2026|website=verkiezingsuitslagen.nl |language=nl }}</ref>
* Behoorlijk Bestuur – 5 seats * CDA – 4 seats * VVD – 4 seats * Forum voor Democratie – 3 seats * Stadspartij Den Helder – 2 seats * Beter voor Den Helder – 2 seats * D66 – 2 seats * Fractie Pastoor – 1 seat * GroenLinks – 1 seat * PvdA – 1 seat * ChristenUnie – 1 seat * PVV – 1 seat * 50Plus – 1 seat * Samen Actief Den Helde – 1 seat * Socialistische Partij – 1 seat * Senioren Partij Den Helder – 1 seat
== Notable people == 125px|thumb|Gerard 't Hooft, 2008 125px|thumb|Marleen Barth, 2015
=== Public figures and politicians === * Frans van Anraat (born 1942), businessman, sold raw materials to produce chemical weapons to Saddam Hussein * Marleen Barth (born 1964), politician, trade union leader and journalist * Petrus Johannes Blok (1855–1929) a historian * Edward W. Bok (1863–1930), Dutch-American editor, Pulitzer Prize winner * Esther Welmoet Wijnaendts Francken-Dyserinck (1876–1956) was a journalist, feminist and co-founder of Dutch Girl Guiding * Cornelis Giles (1675–1722), a navigator and cartographer * Rijkman Groenink (born 1949), banker, CEO of ABN-Amro * Gerard 't Hooft (born 1946), physicist and academic, shared the 1999 Nobel Prize in Physics * William Lonsdale (1799–1864), soldier, colonialist, helped found Melbourne, Australia * Theo de Meester (1851–1919) politician, Prime Minister of the Netherlands 1905 to 1908 * Ed Nijpels (born 1950), former minister of Housing (1986–1989) and former mayor of Breda * Dorus Rijkers (1847–1928), lifeboat captain and folk hero * Paul Rosenmöller (born 1956), a TV presenter and former politician and trade unionist * René Schoof (born 1955), mathematician and academic in Rome * Aletta Stas-Bax (born 1965) is an entrepreneur in Swiss watches and an author
=== The arts === 125px|thumb|Dick Ket, Autoportrait, 1932 * IJf Blokker (1930–2026) was a musician, TV actor, and presenter<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0088872/ IMDb Database] retrieved 10 December 2019</ref> * Gré Brouwenstijn (1915–1999), opera singer * Benjamin Feliksdal (born 1940) is a ballet dancer * Dick Ket (1902–1940) was a magic realist painter of still lifes and self-portraits * Hanco Kolk (born 1957) is a cartoonist and comics artist * Anton Pieck (1895–1987), painter and graphic artist * Milly Scott (born 1933) is a Dutch singer and actress of Surinamese origin * Quintino (born 1985) is a DJ
=== Sport === 125px|thumb|Edith Bosch, 2012 * Jorina Baars (born 1988) is a female kickboxing Thai fighter * Edith Bosch (born 1980), Judo world champion and Olympic silver and bronze medalist * Anthonij Guépin (1897–1964) was a sailor and bronze medallist at the 1924 Summer Olympics * Erwin Koen (born 1978) is a former footballer with over 300 club caps * Elien Meijer (born 1970) is a retired rower, team silver medallist at the 2000 Summer Olympics * Swen Nater (born 1950), basketball player * Martine Ohr (born 1964), field hockey striker, gold medallist at the 1984 Summer Olympics * Chima Onyeike (born 1975), afootball coach and former professional player, fitness coach for VfB Stuttgart * Hans Smits (born 1956), water polo player, bronze medallist at the 1976 Summer Olympics * Mark de Vries (born 1975), footballer with 370 club caps, plays for ONS Boso Sneek. * Sieme Zijm (born 1978) is a former footballer with over 300 club caps * Jermaine Wattimena (born 1988) is a professional darts player
== In popular culture == The Frank Boeijen Groep song ''Haast (rust roest)'' contains the line " '''s avonds in Den Helder''". (English- In the evening in Den Helder) The Rob de Nijs song ''Jan Klaassen de Trompetter'' contains the line "''hij marcheerde van Den Helder tot Den Briel''". (English- He marched from Den Helder to Den Briel).
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{EB1911 poster|Helder|Den Helder}} *{{Commons category-inline}} *[http://www.denhelder.nl/ Official website] *{{Cite AmCyc|wstitle=Helder, The |short=x}}
{{Geographic location | Centre = Den Helder | North = Texel<br>''Marsdiep'' | East = ''Balgzand (Wadden Sea)'' | Southeast = Hollands Kroon | South = Schagen | West = ''North Sea'' }} {{Dutch municipality Den Helder}} {{North Holland Province}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Den Helder Category:Cities in the Netherlands Category:Municipalities of North Holland Category:Populated coastal places in the Netherlands Category:Populated places in North Holland Category:Port cities and towns of the North Sea