Aartselaar

Aartselaar (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈaːrtsəlaːr] ^ⓘ, old spelling: Aertselaer) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality only comprises the town of Aartselaar proper. In 2021, Aartselaar had a total population of 14,455 people. The total area is 10.93 km².^[2] The municipality of Aartselaar is located in the southern outskirts of Antwerp. It is known for its 1801 windmill (Heimolen) as well as the cycling race called Memorial Rik Van Steenbergen and Aartselaar BBC, the official basketball club of the town.

Aartselaar
Municipality
Aartselaar town hall
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Aartselaar
Aartselaar Location in Belgium Location of Aartselaar in the province of Antwerp
Coordinates: 51°08′N 04°23′E
Country	Belgium
Community	Flemish Community
Region	Flemish Region
Province	Antwerp
Arrondissement	Antwerp
Government
• Mayor	Sophie De Wit (N-VA)
• Governing party/ies	N-VA, Groen
Area
• Total	11.02 km2 (4.25 sq mi)
Population  (2022-01-01)[1]
• Total	14,610
• Density	1,300/km2 (3,400/sq mi)
Postal codes	2630
NIS code	11001
Area codes	03
Website	www.aartselaar.be

Etymology

The origin of the name of the town is obscure; probably etymology refers to "Arcelar", a clearing in the woods (laar) located near a border or "Aertselaer", a clearing in woods, or village of doctors ("aerts") (archas).^[3]

Education

The International School of Belgium is located in this municipality and offers the international IB curriculum.

Famous residents

Well-known persons who were born or reside in Aartselaar or have any other significant connection with the municipality:

• Frans Cools (1918 - 1999), cyclist
• Sophie De Wit (1973), politician and current mayor of Aartselaar
• Camille Paulus (1943), politician
• Karel Thijs (1918), cyclist^[4]
• Geo Verbanck (1881 - 1961), sculptor

Climate

Climate data for Aartselaar (1991−2020 normals)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	6.7 (44.1)	7.6 (45.7)	11.2 (52.2)	15.3 (59.5)	18.9 (66.0)	21.7 (71.1)	23.7 (74.7)	23.6 (74.5)	20.0 (68.0)	15.4 (59.7)	10.4 (50.7)	7.1 (44.8)	15.1 (59.2)
Daily mean °C (°F)	4.0 (39.2)	4.4 (39.9)	7.0 (44.6)	10.3 (50.5)	14.0 (57.2)	16.9 (62.4)	19.0 (66.2)	18.7 (65.7)	15.4 (59.7)	11.5 (52.7)	7.4 (45.3)	4.5 (40.1)	11.1 (52.0)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	1.3 (34.3)	1.2 (34.2)	2.9 (37.2)	5.2 (41.4)	9.2 (48.6)	12.2 (54.0)	14.2 (57.6)	13.7 (56.7)	10.8 (51.4)	7.5 (45.5)	4.3 (39.7)	2.0 (35.6)	7.0 (44.6)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	70.3 (2.77)	61.0 (2.40)	53.9 (2.12)	40.9 (1.61)	58.3 (2.30)	71.1 (2.80)	80.5 (3.17)	85.4 (3.36)	70.5 (2.78)	67.6 (2.66)	77.6 (3.06)	88.3 (3.48)	825.3 (32.49)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm)	12.3	11.3	10.2	8.6	9.7	10.1	10.4	10.8	9.9	10.9	12.6	13.7	130.6
Mean monthly sunshine hours	61	77	135	189	219	220	224	211	164	116	66	51	1,734
Source: Royal Meteorological Institute[5]