| Bussum | |
| Settlement Type: | Town and former municipality |
| Flag Size: | 100x67px |
| Map Alt: | Highlighted position of Bussum in a municipal map of North Holland |
| Coordinates: | 52.2833°N 15°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Netherlands |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Name1: | North Holland |
| Subdivision Type2: | Municipality |
| Subdivision Name2: | Gooise Meren |
| Unit Pref: | Metric |
| Elevation Footnotes: | [1] |
| Elevation M: | 1 |
| Population Total: | 33,595 |
| Population As Of: | 2019 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Population Demonym: | Bussumer |
| Timezone: | CET |
| Utc Offset: | +1 |
| Timezone Dst: | CEST |
| Utc Offset Dst: | +2 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postcode |
| Postal Code: | 1400–1406 |
| Area Code Type: | Area code |
| Area Code: | 035 |
Bussum (in Dutch; Flemish pronounced as /ˈbʏsʏm/) is a commuter town and former municipality in the Gooi region in the south east of the province of North Holland in the Netherlands near Hilversum. Since 2016, Bussum has been part of the new municipality of Gooise Meren.
Bussum had a population of 33,595 in 2019 and covered an area of NaNBussum}}.
For a long time Bussum was a hamlet situated in the heathlands of the Gooi and was first mentioned in 1306. At this time, Bussum was shown on maps as a large heathland with many small farms, sheep pens and forests. Since Bussum was situated near the fortified town of Naarden it was governed by Naarden from 1369. In 1470 Bussum had about 250 inhabitants, which made it the smallest village in the Gooi.
Bussum became independent from Naarden in 1817, yet it was not until the arrival of a railway line in 1874 that Bussum began to flourish. Two train stations were built in the town, that still exist today: Naarden-Bussum and Bussum Zuid (Dutch for Bussum South), both on the connection between Amsterdam and Hilversum. The stations and the road network fostered the town's status as a satellite town of Amsterdam, allowing for reverse commute also to Hilversum. From 1898 until 1907, Bussum housed the first Dutch socialist colony after the example of Thoreau's Walden, set up by the writer and psychiatrist Frederik van Eeden. In 1951, Bussum hosted the first Dutch national TV broadcast and the national TV studios were located there until 1964.
Bussum merged with the local municipalities of Naarden, Muiden and Muiderberg on 1 January 2016. In October 2014, the combined town councils chose the name Gooise Meren for the new municipality, the other options being Naarden-Bussum and Naardingerland.[2]
The last municipal council of Bussum consisted of 23 seats, which at the 2014 election were divided as follows:[3]
Elections were held in November 2015 for a council for the new merged Gooise Meren municipality that commenced work in January 2016, replacing Bussum council.[4]
The town of Bussum has two railway stations: Naarden-Bussum and Bussum Zuid.