Venray is a place and municipality in Dutch Limburg. The core of Venray is 36 kilometers south of Nijmegen and 22 kilometers northwest of Venlo. In Venray, about 30,000 people live. Venray is the second urban core of North Limburg after Venlo and the place plays an important role in the region.

First Rodhe (1224) and Red (1220, 14th century), later with Venfor: Venlode, Venroed, Venroyd, Venroy, Venrooy, and with a, ae, ai, ay instead of o, oe, oi, oy : Venrade, Venraed, Venraid, Venradt, Venrayde, Wenrait, Weenraid, Venray.

First word part of friend "friend"; Second part of rooting, mining and building suitable land by cutting trees and pulling out the roots. Field and place names on roots arose mainly in the 12th to 14th centuries.

Cf. Venrode estate at St. Michielsgestel and the village of Venrath near Erkelenz in Germany.

Venray is on sandy land, at an altitude of about 25 meters. The main natural areas are west of the city center: Odapark and Plainwater. The psychiatric institution of Saint Anna, north of the center, has a wooded area, St. Annabos. In the northeast you will find the Boschhuizer mountains. In the northwest there is the Loobeek basin.