Orientation · Short answer

Where is Hoofddorp?

Q: Which province is Hoofddorp in?

Hoofddorp is in the province of North Holland (Noord-Holland).

Hoofddorp is in the west of the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland (Noord-Holland). It is the main town of the municipality of Haarlemmermeer, set in a drained lake bed between Amsterdam, Haarlem and Leiden — right next to Schiphol Airport.

Country: Netherlands
Province: North Holland
Municipality: Haarlemmermeer
Coordinates: 52.30°N · 4.69°E

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Location in the Netherlands

Hoofddorp is part of the Randstad conurbation and the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area. It lies south-west of Amsterdam and south of Haarlem, in the middle of the Haarlemmermeer polder. Schiphol Airport is directly to the north-east; by train the airport is the next stop.

The Netherlands has provinces rather than states. Hoofddorp is in North Holland, not South Holland — although the provincial border is close: neighbouring municipalities such as Lisse and Hillegom are already in South Holland.

Hoofddorp is not a municipality of its own. It is the largest of the towns and villages that make up the municipality of Haarlemmermeer, and the seat of the municipal council.

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A town on the bed of a former lake

Until the mid-nineteenth century the area was water: the Haarlemmermeer lake. It was pumped dry by three steam pumping stations between 1849 and 1852. At the crossing of two main canals in the middle of the new polder a village grew from 1853, first called Kruisdorp and renamed Hoofddorp in 1868.

Because the polder is a former lake bed, Hoofddorp lies below sea level — roughly three to five metres below the Dutch reference level (NAP). Pumping stations keep it dry. Read more in the history of Hoofddorp.

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Getting to Hoofddorp

Train

Hoofddorp station

On the east side of town on the Schiphol line. NS Sprinter trains run towards Schiphol and Amsterdam and towards Leiden. Check the NS journey planner for current times.

Bus

R-net and Zuidtangent

City and regional buses and R-net lines stop at the station, including the Zuidtangent (line 300) linking Haarlem, Hoofddorp, Schiphol and Amsterdam-Zuidoost.

Car

A4 and A5

The A4 (Amsterdam – The Hague) runs along the east side of town; at the De Hoek interchange the A5 branches off towards Amsterdam-Westpoort.

Air

Via Schiphol

Arriving by plane, Hoofddorp is a short train or bus ride from Schiphol. See also transport.

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Hoofddorp on the map

Hoofddorp in relation to Schiphol, Haarlem, Amsterdam and Leiden.

— FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Which province is Hoofddorp in?

Hoofddorp is in the province of North Holland (Noord-Holland).

Which country is Hoofddorp in?

The Netherlands. It lies about 20 km south-west of Amsterdam, next to Schiphol Airport.

Is Hoofddorp a city?

Formally Hoofddorp is a town within the municipality of Haarlemmermeer, not a municipality itself, and its name literally means “head village”. With almost 80,000 inhabitants, a large shopping centre, a railway station and a theatre, it functions as a medium-sized town.

Is Hoofddorp near Amsterdam?

Yes. Central Amsterdam is about 20 km away; by train via Schiphol it takes roughly 20 to 25 minutes to Amsterdam Centraal.

Is Hoofddorp below sea level?

Yes, roughly three to five metres below sea level, because it stands on the bed of the drained Haarlemmermeer lake.

Is Hoofddorp in the UK?

No. Hoofddorp is in the Netherlands. There is no Hoofddorp in the United Kingdom.