Dortmund Population 2026

Dortmund has a population of 588,462, making it the #9 biggest city in 🇩🇪 Germany, located in North Rhine-Westphalia. Roughly 0.7% of Germany's population lives here. It is about 5.8× smaller than Berlin, the country's biggest city.

Location of Dortmund (capital Berlin shown for reference). Boundaries: Natural Earth.

Population (city proper)

588,462

Rank in Germany

Coordinates

51.51°N, 7.47°E

~96 m elevation · Europe/Berlin

Distance to capital (Berlin)

422 km

262 miles, straight line

Other big cities in North Rhine-Westphalia

City	Population	Rank in Germany
Köln	1,024,621	#4
Düsseldorf	618,685	#6
Essen	593,085	#8
Duisburg	504,358	#15
Bochum	385,729	#16
Wuppertal	360,797	#17
Bielefeld	331,906	#18
Bonn	330,579	#19

Cities near Dortmund

Herne172,108 people · ~17 km away
Hagen198,972 people · ~17 km away
Bochum385,729 people · ~18 km away
Recklinghausen122,438 people · ~22 km away
Gelsenkirchen270,028 people · ~26 km away
Marl91,398 people · ~30 km away

FAQ

What is the population of Dortmund?

Dortmund has a population of 588,462 (city proper, latest official figure via GeoNames), making it the #9 biggest city in Germany.

What region is Dortmund in?

Dortmund is located in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

Is Dortmund the capital of Germany?

No, the capital of Germany is Berlin, about 422 km away.

Sources & notes

Population refers to the city proper (municipal boundaries), not the metropolitan area. Source: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0), retrieved 2026-07-07. Country data: UN World Population Prospects 2024.

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