Ostrołęka, city, Mazowieckie województwo (province), northeastern Poland. It lies on the eastern bank of the Narew River, 20 miles (32 km) southwest of Łomża city.
Ostrołęka, one of the oldest cities in the Mazovian Lowland, received its city rights in 1373. It flourished in the 16th and 17th centuries as a craftsmen’s trading centre for the Kurpie Forest region. In 1708 the people of the region successfully resisted Swedish invaders. Ostrołęka suffered extensive damage during World War II, but afterward many of its public buildings and two 17th-century Baroque churches were restored. The economy of the city is based on the paper and cellulose industries and on food processing. Pop. (2011) 53,572.