Worcester, South Africa

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Worcester Woester in Afrikaans orthography
Town
From top, High Street in the Worcester downtown area. Karoo Desert National Botanical Garden (centre left). Kleinplasie Historical Village (centre right). A historic home (bottom left). The Worcester Dutch Reformed Church (bottom right).
Coat of arms
Worcester Show map of Western Cape Worcester Show map of South Africa Worcester Show map of Africa
Coordinates: 33°38′42″S 19°26′37″E / 33.64500°S 19.44361°E / -33.64500; 19.44361
Country	South Africa
Province	Western Cape
District	Cape Winelands
Municipality	Breede Valley
Established	1820[1]
Government
Area [2]
• Total	73.2 km2 (28.3 sq mi)
Population  (2020)[2]
• Total	127,597
• Density	1,700/km2 (4,500/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011) [2]
• Black African	25.4%
• Coloured	55.7%
• Indian/Asian	0.8%
• White	17.0%
• Other	1.1%
First languages (2011) [2]
• Afrikaans	73.1%
• Xhosa	19.1%
• English	3.7%
• Sotho	1.7%
• Other	2.4%
Time zone	UTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street)	6850
PO box	6849
Area code	023
Website	www.breedevallei.gov.za

Worcester (/ˈwʊstər/ ^ⓘ WUUST-ər) is a town in the Western Cape, South Africa. It is the third-largest city in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. It is located 120 kilometres (75 mi) north-east of Cape Town on the N1 highway north to Johannesburg.

Being the largest town in the Western Cape's interior region, it serves as the administrative capital of the Breede Valley Local Municipality and as regional headquarters for most central and Provincial Government Departments. Its mayor is Antoinette Steyn. The town also serves as the hub of the Western Cape's interior commercial, distribution and retail activity with a shopping mall, well developed central business district and infrastructure.

Worcester is located at an elevation of 220 metres (720 ft) and can be reached by road either travelling on the N1 highway through the Huguenot Tunnel or by driving through spectacular mountain passes. From Cape Town Du Toitskloof, from Wellington Bainskloof, from Malmesbury, Western Cape Nieuwekloof, from Ceres Mitchells, from Robertson Goree, from Hermanus Rooihoogte and from Johannesburg Hex River, with vistas over the Hex River Valley.

Geographically, the district is delimited mainly by mountains; to the southwest lies the massive Stettyns mountain range with an annual rainfall in excess of 2000 mm. To the west lie the Du Toitskloof Mountains and northwest lies the Slanghoek, Little Drakenstein, Elandskloof and Lemiet mountain ranges. To the north rises the Hex River Mountains which include the towering peaks of Chavonnes, Brandwacht, Fonteintjiesberg and Audensberg. Northeast of the town the colourful Keerom Mountain runs into the Langeberg range.

Worcester and its surroundings form part of the Breede River catchment area, which is fed by a number of smaller rivers supplemented by the run-off from the winter snows in the mountains. The district also includes the Hex River Valley.