Goodwood, Western Cape

Goodwood
Goodwood
Goodwood
Goodwood
Coordinates: 33°54′24″S 18°32′57″E / 33.90667°S 18.54917°E / -33.90667; 18.54917
CountrySouth Africa
ProvinceWestern Cape
MunicipalityCity of Cape Town
Area
 • Total
17.94 km2 (6.93 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)
 • Total
50,285
 • Density2,803/km2 (7,260/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
 • Black African17.9%
 • Coloured37.9%
 • Indian/Asian3.4%
 • White37.9%
 • Other2.9%
First languages (2011)
 • English50.9%
 • Afrikaans35.0%
 • Xhosa4.9%
 • Other9.2%
Time zoneUTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street)
7460
PO box
7459
Area code021

Goodwood is a suburb of Cape Town in the Western Cape, South Africa and is situated in the Tygerberg region of the City of Cape Town. It is 10 kilometres from Cape Town and accessible from the N1, N7 and N2 highways.

The town was established in 1905 and named after Goodwood Racecourse in England as the founders intended to make it a racing centre. A course was actually constructed, but after only one meeting it was abandoned.

The first railway station was built in 1905, and today there are five within the municipal area. Three of them lie on the Cape Town-Johannesburg main line: Goodwood, Vasco and Elsies River. It also has Monte Vista and Acacia Park stations which are on the secondary line between Cape Town and Bellville.

Following the outbreak of World War II and South Africa's entry into the war in 1939, the Wingfield Aerodrome was established in the suburb. It was Cape Town's primary airport until 1953. The suburb also hosts the largest of South Africa's parliamentary villages for non-local politicians, Acacia Park.