Wilhelmshaven

Wilhelmshaven
Willemshaven (Low German)
Location of Wilhelmshaven
Wilhelmshaven
Wilhelmshaven
Coordinates: 53°31′43″N 08°06′20″E / 53.52861°N 8.10556°E / 53.52861; 8.10556
CountryGermany
StateLower Saxony
DistrictUrban district
Government
 • Lord mayor (2019–24) Carsten Feist (Ind.)
Area
 • Total
106.91 km2 (41.28 sq mi)
Elevation
2 m (6.6 ft)
Population
 (2023-12-31)
 • Total
76,247
 • Density713.19/km2 (1,847.2/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes
26351–26389
Dialling codes04421, 04423, and 04425 (each partially)
Vehicle registrationWHV
Websitewww.wilhelmshaven.de

Wilhelmshaven (German pronunciation: [ˌvɪlhɛlmsˈhaːfn̩] , lit.'Wilhelm's Harbour'; Northern Low Saxon: Willemshaven) is a coastal town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the western side of the Jade Bight, a bay of the North Sea, and has a population of 76,089. Wilhelmshaven is the centre of the "Jade Buse" business region (which has around 330,000 inhabitants) and is Germany's main military port.

The adjacent Lower Saxony Wadden Sea National Park (part of the Wattenmeer UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site) provides the basis for the major tourism industry in the region.