Aachen Population 2026

Aachen has a population of 265,208, making it the #26 biggest city in 🇩🇪 Germany, located in North Rhine-Westphalia. Roughly 0.3% of Germany's population lives here. It is about 13× smaller than Berlin, the country's biggest city.

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

Population (city proper)

265,208

Rank in Germany

#26

Coordinates

50.78°N, 6.08°E

~266 m elevation · Europe/Berlin

Distance to capital (Berlin)

541 km

336 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
Dortmund	588,462	#9
Duisburg	504,358	#15
Bochum	385,729	#16
Wuppertal	360,797	#17
Bielefeld	331,906	#18

Cities near Aachen

Mönchengladbach261,742 people · ~52 km away
Köln1,024,621 people · ~63 km away
Leverkusen162,738 people · ~69 km away
Düsseldorf618,685 people · ~70 km away
Bonn330,579 people · ~71 km away
Bergisch Gladbach106,184 people · ~77 km away

FAQ

What is the population of Aachen?

Aachen has a population of 265,208 (city proper, latest official figure via GeoNames), making it the #26 biggest city in Germany.

What region is Aachen in?

Aachen is located in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

Is Aachen the capital of Germany?

No, the capital of Germany is Berlin, about 541 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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