North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Essen
Essen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It has a population of about 573,618 (2025). The climate is classified as oceanic (Köppen Cfb), with rain spread through the year and no real dry season.
Now10°C
Best timeMay · Aug–Sep
Population573,618
Local time22:00
51.46° N, 7.01° EElevation 83 mUTC+2 · Central European Summer Time
Postal codes45058, 45060 …October: high / low15° / 8°
Rain this month79mm
Best timeMay · Aug–Sep
Best: May · Aug–Sep. Warmth, sunshine and dry days, month by month.
Essen at a glance
Sunrise · sunset08:08 · 18:2610 h 18 min of daylightThe moon tonightWaxing gibbous87% · Moonrise 17:04Northern lights tonightUnlikely tonightKp needed: 7Next holiday1 NovemberAll Saints' DayNext concert2 NovFuture Palace · Zeche Carl
Best time to visitMay · Aug–Sep
The months with the highest weather score
Warmest month24°C
Average high in July
Coolest month1°C
Average low in January
Wettest monthJanuary
85 mm of rain
Driest monthApril
55 mm of rain
Monuments nearby10+
within 1.4 km
How Essen has grown
People living in the built-up area (880 km² today), every five years since 1975; 2030 is the projection.
-5%2.88M in 1975 → 2.72M in 2025Weather in Essen
Now and the next ten days. The 14 and 30-day outlooks are one click away.
10°C
Today hour by hourCloudy · wind 13 km/h · humidity 89%
Today22 Oct13°9°1.1 mm
Fri23 Oct15°9°11.5 mm
Sat24 Oct12°8°12.4 mm
Sun25 Oct14°9°24.1 mm
Mon26 Oct13°8°
Tue27 Oct18°10°2.9 mm
Wed28 Oct15°10°
Thu29 Oct14°6°
Fri30 Oct16°5°
Sat31 Oct14°5°
When to go to Essen
Each month's weather score (warmth, sun, dry days) with its temperatures and rain.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Score | 15 | 18 | 23 | 57 | 64 | 62 | 64 | 65 | 67 | 46 | 15 | 14 |
| High | 6° | 7° | 11° | 15° | 19° | 22° | 24° | 24° | 20° | 15° | 10° | 6° |
| Low | 1° | 1° | 3° | 5° | 9° | 12° | 14° | 14° | 11° | 8° | 4° | 2° |
| Rain (mm) | 85 | 65 | 79 | 55 | 73 | 84 | 82 | 80 | 76 | 79 | 85 | 88 |
| Wet days | 17 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 17 |
What's on in Essen
Concerts, football matches, the public holidays ahead and the town's festivals through the year.
Essen's festivals through the year
Monuments and museums in Essen
0.3 km
Old SynagogueBuilt 1911
0.1 km
Essen Minster
0.1 km
Marktkirche, EssenBuilt 1043
0.3 km
Kreuzeskirche, Essen
0.4 km
Deutschlandhaus, EssenBuilt 1929
0.5 km
Hauptpost EssenBuilt 1930
Museum1.8 km
Museum FolkwangBuilt 1902
Museum3.9 km
Ruhr MuseumMore museums: Heimatgeschichtliches Zentrum · Musterwohnung Margarethenhöhe · Schaudepot Ruhr Museum · Schloss Borbeck
Outdoors around Essen
Hiking routes from the town, and what there is to do within 15 km: huts, viewpoints, climbing, camping, ski areas and dive sites.
Karls Erlebnis-DorfTheme parks
1.9 kmBismarckturm Mülheim an der RuhrViewpoints
2 kmBoulderbar Neoliet EssenClimbing
2 kmLEGOLAND Discovery CentreTheme parks
2.1 kmTetraederViewpoints
2.2 kmSEA LIFE OberhausenAquariums
2.2 kmLanghoff Tauchausrüstung und BedarfDive site
2 kmDive In EssenDive site
2.7 kmDive site
4.7 kmdivestore.de - der TauchshopDive site
7 kmNature around Essen
Wildlife in October
The birds and mammals of Germany seen most this month, compared with the rest of their year.
The sky over Essen
Earthquakes around Essen
The last 30 days within 300 km, and the record since 1950.
Last 30 days0magnitude 2.5+ within 300 kmSince 19504magnitude 5+ within 150 kmSignificant earthquakes on record8within 300 km
Strongest nearby since 1950
5.5Erp 3 km ↘1951 · 81 km
5.4Neeritter 1 km ↓1992 · 91 km
5.2Mörsbach 2 km ↗1982 · 98 km
5.0Hodeige 0 km →1983 · 144 km
Fossil sites near this town
Fossil sites: 3 · 0 km
Cretaceous · 3
Formations around the town
Universities and research institutes
University of Duisburg-EssenUniversity or college · founded 1654
Folkwang University of the ArtsUniversity or college · founded 1927
Berufsförderungszentrum EssenUniversity or college · founded 1968
Salomon Ludwig Steinheim-InstitutUniversity or college · founded 1988
FOM University of Applied Sciences for Economics and ManagementUniversity or college · founded 1993
University of Fine Arts EssenUniversity or college
RWI – Leibniz Institute for Economic ResearchResearch institute · founded 1926
Gas- und Wärme-Institut EssenResearch institute · founded 1937
Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities EssenResearch institute · founded 1989
Erwin L. Hahn Institute for Magnetic Resonance ImagingResearch institute · founded 2005
Mercator Research Center RuhrResearch institute · founded 2010
mmb InstitutResearch institute · founded 2016
Institut für Kälte-, Klima- und EnergietechnikResearch institute
Institut für Medizinische Informatik, Biometrie und EpidemiologieResearch institute
Towns and villages around Essen
Each with its own page: weather, climate and the best time to visit.
Essen from above
Around Essen41 places to see, do and reach nearby
Rumbach, North Rhine-WestphaliaNature6.5 kmOefter BachNature11 kmHörsterholzer BachNature9.4 kmHahnenbach, North Rhine-WestphaliaNature9.4 kmSchwarzbach (Emscher)Nature7.0 kmBaldeneyseeNature6.2 kmBrehminselNature7.4 kmBrausenwerthNature24 kmBrodtbergMountain33 kmWinterberg, SchwelmMountain29 kmWinterberg, SprockhövelMountain20 kmKiesbergMountain25 kmOsterbergMountain26 kmNützenbergMountain24 kmLanghoff Tauchausrüstung und BedarfDive site2.0 kmDive In EssenDive site2.7 kmDive siteDive site4.7 kmOld SynagogueMonument0.3 kmEssen MinsterMonument0.1 kmMarktkirche, EssenMonumentunder 100 mKreuzeskirche, EssenMonument0.3 kmDeutschlandhaus, EssenMonument0.4 kmHauptpost EssenMonument0.5 kmPostbank TowerMonument0.7 kmAuferstehungskirche, EssenMonument1.4 kmMuseum FolkwangMuseum1.8 kmRuhr MuseumMuseum3.9 kmSculptures in the GrugaparkMuseum3.6 kmRed Cross Museum EssenMuseum0.7 kmMarkt- und SchaustellermuseumMuseum0.8 kmEssen HauptbahnhofStation0.6 kmEssen WestStation2.2 kmEssen-AltenessenStation3.1 kmFahrgastschiffanleger ZweigertbrückeFerry port6.3 kmFahrgastschiffanleger NordsternparkFerry port7.4 kmDuisburgPlace17 kmBochumPlace14 kmOberhausenPlace11 kmRecklinghausenPlace22 kmBottropPlace9.5 kmWittenPlace24 km
Postal codes
450584506045062–4506445091–450934509545097–450994511345115–4511745120–4512845130–4513145133–451344513645138–451394514145143–451454514745149452194525945276–4527745279453074530945326–453274532945355–4535745359
Getting to Essen
Düsseldorf AirportDUS
25 kmDortmund AirportDTM
42 kmWeeze (Niederrhein) AirportNRN
62 kmEssen HauptbahnhofRailway station
0.6 kmEssen WestRailway station
2.2 kmEssen-AltenessenRailway station
3.1 kmFahrgastschiffanleger ZweigertbrückeFerry port
6.3 kmFahrgastschiffanleger NordsternparkFerry port
7.4 kmPlaces near Essen
Places with a climate like Essen
Matched month by month on temperature, rain and sunshine.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to visit Essen?
Based on 30-year climate normals, May, August and September offer the best balance of comfortable temperatures, low rainfall and sunshine in Essen.
What is the hottest month in Essen?
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 24°C and lows of 14°C.
What is the coldest month in Essen?
January is the coldest month, with average highs of 6°C and lows of 1°C.
What is the rainiest month in Essen?
January is the wettest month with about 85 mm of precipitation on 17 wet days.
What is the postal code of Essen?
Essen has 52 postal codes: 45058, 45060, 45062–45064, 45091–45093, 45095, 45097–45099, 45113, 45115–45117, 45120–45128, 45130–45131, 45133–45134, 45136 ….