Municipality · Province of West Flanders · Flanders
Harelbeke
About Harelbeke
Harelbeke is a municipality in the province of West Flanders in Flanders, Belgium. On 1 January 2026 it had 30,605 inhabitants on an area of 29.4 km², a population density of 1,042 inhabitants per km². That is higher than the average of 390 per km² in West Flanders and higher than the Belgian average of 387 per km².
By population, Harelbeke ranks 88th of Belgium’s 565 municipalities and 11th of the 62 municipalities in West Flanders. By area it ranks 402nd in Belgium.
The official language is Dutch.
Population of Harelbeke since 2016
Between 1 January 2016 and 1 January 2026 the population of Harelbeke grew by 3,069 inhabitants (+11.1%), from 27,536 to 30,605. In the last year it changed by +294.
For population growth since 2016, Harelbeke ranks 36th of 565. Over the same period the province of West Flanders changed by +4.6% and Belgium by +5.3%.
Neighbouring municipalities
Harelbeke borders 9 municipalities:
Distances from Harelbeke
| To | km | miles |
|---|---|---|
| Kortrijk | 8 | 5 |
| Ghent | 37 | 23 |
| Bruges | 43 | 27 |
| Ostend | 47 | 29 |
| Mons | 65 | 41 |
| Brussels | 75 | 47 |
| Mechelen | 82 | 51 |
| Antwerp | 86 | 54 |
| Charleroi | 93 | 58 |
| Leuven | 98 | 61 |
| Namur | 119 | 74 |
| Hasselt | 142 | 88 |
| Liège | 163 | 101 |
| Arlon | 221 | 137 |
Straight line between the centres of the municipalities. By road it is usually 20–40% further. Calculate another distance →
Nearby municipalities
More about Harelbeke: Wikipedia.