The coat of arms was previously that of the jurisdictional area of Westsane en Crommenie, which now form the municipality of Zaanstad.
The other municipalities and places (Koog aan de Zaan, Krommenie, Westzaan, Wormerveer, Zaandam en Zaandijk) used a coat of arms with four lions in it.
This version was published in 1989, in a coat of arms guide for Dutch municipalities issued by the Bank Nederlandse Gemeenten.
Since 2009 the municipality uses a coat of arms according to the description as is known at the High Council of Nobility (Hoge Raad van Adel).
Schildhouders: twee walvissen van natuurlijke kleur, de staarten omhoog.