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Hatvan

Eastern Europe

Hatvan is a town in Heves County, Hungary, and the seat of Hatvan District, ranking as the countys third most populous town after Eger and Gyongyos. Its name comes from the Hungarian word for sixty, though scholars believe it more likely derives from a Pecheneg tribal term for a small tribe or splinter group rather than from any distance to Budapest. The towns notable landmark is the Grassalkovich Palace. Covering 80.66 square kilometers, Hatvan had 20,228 residents according to 2019 data.

Facts
Population
19,505 1
Area (sq km)
80.66 1
Founding Year
1235 2
Founding Year
1235 2
Population Estimate Year
2025 1
Latitude
47.668056 degrees north 1
Longitude
19.669722 degrees east 1
FAQs

Is Hatvan named after being 60 kilometers from Budapest?

No. The name appears in medieval sources and likely comes from a Pecheneg word for a small tribe.

No. Hatvan is the Hungarian word for sixty, and it is a common urban legend that the town was named for being 60 kilometers from Budapest. In fact the name appears in medieval sources, many years before the kilometer existed, and the real distance to the capital is closer to 50 kilometers. The name more likely comes from a Pecheneg root word meaning small tribe or splinter group, because the Turkic Pechenegs were divided into small groups when they settled in the early Kingdom of Hungary.
Sources
1. Hatvan (Wikidata)
  • P1082 (population)
    population 19,505 (2025)
  • P625 (coordinate location)
    latitude 47.668056, longitude 19.669722
  • P2046 (area)
    area 80.66 sq km
  • P1082 (population), P585 (point in time)
    population 19505 (2025)
View the Source
2. Wikipedia (Hungarian): Hatvan
Wikipedia (Hungarian)
  • Source text, founding-year-range-start: 1235
    században már prépostság volt), a település első írásos említése is tőlük való 1235 -ből.
  • Source text, founding-year-range-end: 1235
    században már prépostság volt), a település első írásos említése is tőlük való 1235 -ből.
  • Source text, founding-year: 1235
    században már prépostság volt), a település első írásos említése is tőlük való 1235 -ből.
View the Source
Hatvan (Wikipedia)
In Group: Cities of Eastern Europe (World), Wikipedia; part-of country and UN M49 subregionView the Source
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