Almere (Dutch pronunciation: [ɑlˈmeːrə] ⓘ) is a planned city and municipality in the province of Flevoland, Netherlands across the IJmeer from Amsterdam.

The town in Zuidelijk Flevoland was still called Zuidweststad (English: South West City) on the first sketches, but in the 1970s it became called Almere, named after the lake Almere, the early medieval name of the Zuiderzee.

This idea was later abandoned in favor of allowing neighbourhoods like Tussen de Vaarten to be built.

The housing plan in Almere in the 1970s was basic functionality and a levelling of social status.

Hein van der Loo (independent) has been mayor of Almere since March 2023, with the municipal council consisting of a coalition of several parties.

[13] The first municipal council was installed on 2 January 1984 in the presence of the then-Minister of the Interior Koos Rietkerk.

It borders with Markermeer in the west and north, Lelystad in the northeast, Zeewolde in the east, and Gooimeer in the south.

[18] Almere has an oceanic climate characterized by mild to cool winters, and warm summers with fair precipitation year-round.

On 19 May 2004, at the instigation of Kees Kousemaker, owner of the Amsterdam comics store Lambiek, the first buildings of the Stripheldenbuurt were inaugurated in Almere.

It re-opened again in 2001 under the name Almere Strand as an official seasonal-use station, meaning it was now open certain seasons every year.

Therefore, Almere Strand station was officially closed just after the summer of 2012 and its iron platforms were torn down in the weekend of October 6–7, 2012.

[clarification needed] In Almere there are 11 bus lines which service the urban area.

They run under the Keolis internal name nightGo (but are operated by R-net branded regional buses).