Zaan

Zaan
Den Uylbridge in Zaandam, the Netherlands.
Mouth of Zaan
Location
Country	Netherlands
District	Zaan District
Physical characteristics
Mouth
• coordinates	52°28′11″N 4°49′35″E / 52.46972°N 4.82639°E / 52.46972; 4.82639

The Zaan (Dutch pronunciation: [zaːn] ^ⓘ) is a small river in the province of North Holland in the northwestern Netherlands and the name of a district through which it runs. The river was originally a side arm of the IJ bay and travels 13.5 kilometers (8½ miles) through the municipalities of Zaanstad ("Zaan City") and Wormerland north of Amsterdam, from West-Knollendam in the north to Zaandam in the south, where it empties into the IJ.

The municipality of Zaanstad and several towns along the Zaan are named for the river: Koog aan de Zaan, Westzaan, Oostzaan, Zaandijk and the city of Zaandam. The river also runs past Zaanse Schans, a village with historic windmills and houses. It ranks among the top tourist destinations in the Netherlands.