The municipality of Zaanstad and several towns along the Zaan are named for the river: Koog aan de Zaan, Westzaan, Oostzaan, Zaandijk and the city of Zaandam.
The municipality of Zaanstad and several surrounding towns along the Zaan River share names: Koog aan de Zaan, Westzaan, Oostzaan, Zaandijk, and the city of Zaandam.