Schoonhoven (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈsxoːnˌɦoːvə(n)] ⓘ) is a city and was a former municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland.

In 1518, the castle burned down and its remains were removed in subsequent decades.Between 1582 and 1601 the city's defense walls were renewed and expanded to include the shipyards as well.

At this point, the fortifications mainly faced eastward (as can be seen on the 1652 map of Schoonhoven by Joan Blaeu), because of the historically strategical location on the border between the County of Holland and the Bishopric of Utrecht.

A beautiful example of a large clockwork is the Van den Gheyn Beiaard in the tower of the medieval town hall of Schoonhoven.

Tourists are often offered a guided tour of the city and its museums, or a relaxing cycling day trip through Schoonhoven's rural surroundings.

The grassy polders of the Krimpenerwaard, Lopikerwaard and Alblasserwaard surrounding the city of Schoonhoven are home to a magnificent variety of birds such as storks.

Popular events that take place in Schoonhoven include the annual well-visited Silver day (Zilverdag) on Whit Monday and "Spookhoven", a celebration of Halloween.

Schoonhoven lies in the middle of the Dutch Green Heart (Groene Hart), which is mostly a rural area with a relatively low population density.

A ferry transporting both vehicles and pedestrians across the Lek River connects Schoonhoven with Gelkenes in the municipality of Molenwaard.