The city of Bochum is the heart of the central Ruhr area in North Rhine-Westphalia.
The Independent city in the administrative district of Arnsberg is one of the four main centers of the Ruhr area and, with about 380,000 inhabitants, the sixth largest city in the federal state, the second largest in Westphalia and one of the 20 largest cities in Germany. Bochum is a member of the Regional Authority of Westphalia-Lippe and the Ruhr Regional Association. The towns of Witten, Hattingen, Gelsenkirchen, Herne and Recklinghausen are situated in the immediate vicinity.