Arrondissements of Lyon
Encyclopedia
The nine arrondissements
of Lyon are the administrative divisions of the City of Lyon
. Unlike the spiral pattern of the arrondissements of Paris
, or the meandering pattern of those in Marseille
, the layout in Lyon is more idiosyncratic. This is for historical reasons: following the annexation of the communes
of La Guillotière, La Croix-Rousse
and Vaise
in 1852, the newly enlarged city was divided into 5 arrondissements, which originally spiralled out anticlockwise from the Hôtel de Ville (Town Hall); however, as the city's population expanded, it became necessary to split certain arrondissements, giving rise to today's seemingly random pattern.
As the 19th century progressed, the area known then as Les Broteaux (sic) started to be developed by Morand and consequently the population of this part of the 3rd arrondissement began to increase rapidly. In 1867, the decision was taken to split the 3rd arrondissement in two, and a 6th arrondissement was created north of Cours Lafayette.
In 1894, the 6th arrondissement was expanded to include all of the Parc de la Tête d'Or, which until then had been split between Lyon and Villeurbanne.
As the turn of the century approached, the southern parts of the 3rd arrondissement also began to experience considerable development. By 1912, the population had increased so much that a decision was once again taken to split the 3rd arrondissement; a 7th arrondissement was created south of Cours des Brosses (today Cours Gambetta/Cours Albert Thomas/Avenue Rockefeller).
The development of Monplaisir and the surrounding area throughout the 20th century led to a further split, in 1959, when an 8th arrondissement was created to the east of the Lyon–Marseille railway line.
Four years later, Lyon's last annexation took place: in 1963, the commune of St-Rambert-l'Île-Barbe was incorporated into the 5th arrondissement. However, one year later, the decision was taken to split what had become a sprawling and populous arrondissement into two: in 1964, the 9th arrondissement came into being. The seemingly arbitrary boundary (along Avenue Barthélemy Buyer and across Fourvière to join the banks of the Saône north of St-Paul), which does not follow the historical limit between Lyon and Vaise (which lay further north), was probably drawn for convenience's sake prior to the completion of the Champvert neighbourhood, which is now split between the 5th and the 9th arrondissements.
Geographically, Lyon's two main rivers, the Saône
and the Rhône
, divide the arrondissements into three groups:
is sometimes referred to as Lyon's "10th arrondissement", the likelihood of it ever being incorporated into the city is remote. Villeurbanne resisted annexation in 1852 (only ceding its section of the Parc de la Tête d'Or in 1894 in exchange for a considerable payment from its larger neighbour), and now has a sufficiently strong identity and sufficiently high population – 134,000 (2005 estimate), making it France's most populous suburban commune – for the prospect of annexation to be all but dead. Indeed, most of the benefits that being part of Lyon might bring for Villeurbanne are already provided by the Grand Lyon urban community (intercommunality structure).
Municipal arrondissements of France
The municipal arrondissement is a subdivision of the commune, used in the three largest cities: Paris, Lyon and Marseille. It functions as an even lower administrative division, with its own mayor...
of Lyon are the administrative divisions of the City of Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
. Unlike the spiral pattern of the arrondissements of Paris
Arrondissements of Paris
The city of Paris is divided into twenty arrondissements municipaux administrative districts, more simply referred to as arrondissements . These are not to be confused with departmental arrondissements, which subdivide the 101 French départements...
, or the meandering pattern of those in Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
, the layout in Lyon is more idiosyncratic. This is for historical reasons: following the annexation of the communes
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
of La Guillotière, La Croix-Rousse
La Croix-Rousse
This zone is served by the metro line La Croix-Rousse is a hill in the town of Lyon, France, as well as the name of a quarter located on this hill . It is 254m at its peak...
and Vaise
Vaise
Vaise is a quarter of the City of Lyon , located along the Saône at the foot of the plateau Duchère, north-west of the city. Former commune of the Rhône department, Vaise was linked to Lyon on 24 March 1852, to form part of the 5th arrondissement. Vaise was then attached to the 9th arrondissement...
in 1852, the newly enlarged city was divided into 5 arrondissements, which originally spiralled out anticlockwise from the Hôtel de Ville (Town Hall); however, as the city's population expanded, it became necessary to split certain arrondissements, giving rise to today's seemingly random pattern.
Arrondissements of Lyon in 1852
- 1st arrondissement1st arrondissement of LyonThe 1st arrondissement of Lyon, France is one of the nine arrondissements of the City of Lyon. It is located below the hill of Croix-Rousse and on the north part of the Presqu'île formed by the Saône and the Rhône, the two rivers in Lyon...
: as today (Terreaux, Martinière/St-Vincent, Pentes de la Croix-Rousse) - 2nd arrondissement: as today (Cordeliers, Bellecour, Ainay, Perrache, Confluent)
- 3rd arrondissement: former commune of La Guillotière (all of the Left Bank of the Rhône)
- 4th arrondissement: as today (former commune of La Croix-Rousse)
- 5th arrondissement: all of the Right Bank of the Saône (including Fourvière and the former commune of Vaise)
As the 19th century progressed, the area known then as Les Broteaux (sic) started to be developed by Morand and consequently the population of this part of the 3rd arrondissement began to increase rapidly. In 1867, the decision was taken to split the 3rd arrondissement in two, and a 6th arrondissement was created north of Cours Lafayette.
In 1894, the 6th arrondissement was expanded to include all of the Parc de la Tête d'Or, which until then had been split between Lyon and Villeurbanne.
As the turn of the century approached, the southern parts of the 3rd arrondissement also began to experience considerable development. By 1912, the population had increased so much that a decision was once again taken to split the 3rd arrondissement; a 7th arrondissement was created south of Cours des Brosses (today Cours Gambetta/Cours Albert Thomas/Avenue Rockefeller).
The development of Monplaisir and the surrounding area throughout the 20th century led to a further split, in 1959, when an 8th arrondissement was created to the east of the Lyon–Marseille railway line.
Four years later, Lyon's last annexation took place: in 1963, the commune of St-Rambert-l'Île-Barbe was incorporated into the 5th arrondissement. However, one year later, the decision was taken to split what had become a sprawling and populous arrondissement into two: in 1964, the 9th arrondissement came into being. The seemingly arbitrary boundary (along Avenue Barthélemy Buyer and across Fourvière to join the banks of the Saône north of St-Paul), which does not follow the historical limit between Lyon and Vaise (which lay further north), was probably drawn for convenience's sake prior to the completion of the Champvert neighbourhood, which is now split between the 5th and the 9th arrondissements.
Arrondissements of Lyon since 1964
- 1st arrondissement1st arrondissement of LyonThe 1st arrondissement of Lyon, France is one of the nine arrondissements of the City of Lyon. It is located below the hill of Croix-Rousse and on the north part of the Presqu'île formed by the Saône and the Rhône, the two rivers in Lyon...
: Presqu'île north (Terreaux, Martinière/St-Vincent), Pentes de la Croix-Rousse (Subway Lines A and C) - 2nd arrondissement2nd arrondissement of LyonThe 2nd arrondissement of Lyon is one of the nine arrondissements of the City of Lyon.-History:The first five arrondissements of Lyon were created by the Decree of March 24, 1852, which included the 2nd arrondissement.The current mayor is Denis Broliquier....
: Presqu'île south (Cordeliers, Bellecour, Ainay, Perrache, Confluent) (Subway lines A, D and Tramway T1 and T2. - 3rd arrondissement3rd arrondissement of LyonThe 3rd arrondissement of Lyon is one of the nine arrondissements of the City of Lyon.-Demography:* 2006: 88,755 inhab* 2007: 89,000 inhab...
: Préfecture, Guillotière north, Part-Dieu, Villette, Sans Souci/Dauphiné, Montchat, Grange Blanche north (Subway Line D and B, tramway T1, T3). - 4th arrondissement: Plateau de la Croix-Rousse, Serin (Subway Line C)
- 5th arrondissement: Vieux Lyon (St-Paul, St-Jean, St-Georges), Fourvière, St-Just, St-Irénée, Point du Jour, Ménival, Battières, Champvert south (Subway Line D and Funiculars 1 and 2.
- 6th arrondissement: Brotteaux, Bellecombe, Parc de la Tête d'Or, Cité Internationale (Subway Line A and Tramway T1).
- 7th arrondissement: Guillotière south, Jean Macé, Gerland (Subway Line D and Tramway T1)
- 8th arrondissement: Monplaisir, Monplaisir La Plaine, États-Unis, Bachut, Grand Trou/Moulin à Vent, Mermoz, Laënnec, Grange Blanche south (Subway Line D and tramway T4)
- 9th arrondissement: Vaise, Gorge de Loup, Observance, Duchère (Balmont, Château, Plateau, Sauvegarde), Rochecardon, St-Rambert-l'Île Barbe (Subway Line D).
Geographically, Lyon's two main rivers, the Saône
Saône
The Saône is a river of eastern France. It is a right tributary of the River Rhône. Rising at Vioménil in the Vosges department, it joins the Rhône in Lyon....
and the Rhône
Rhône River
The Rhone is one of the major rivers of Europe, rising in Switzerland and running from there through southeastern France. At Arles, near its mouth on the Mediterranean Sea, the river divides into two branches, known as the Great Rhone and the Little Rhone...
, divide the arrondissements into three groups:
- To the west of the Saône, the 5th arrondissement covers the old city (Vieux Lyon), FourvièreFourvièreFourvière is a district of Lyon, France located on a hill immediately west of the old part of the town, rising abruptly from the river Saône and then gently sloping down to the north-west. It is the site of the original Roman settlement of Lugdunum...
hill and the plateau beyond. The 9th is immediately to the north, and stretches from Gorge de Loup, through Vaise to the neighbouring suburbs of ÉcullyÉcullyÉcully is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France.Just west of Lyon, Écully is the location of the Paul Bocuse Institute.It is also the location of many higher education institutions, including Ecole de Management de Lyon and Ecole Centrale de Lyon.-References:*...
, Champagne-au-Mont-d'OrChampagne-au-Mont-d'OrChampagne-au-Mont-d'Or is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France.- External Links :*...
, Saint-Didier-au-Mont-d'OrSaint-Didier-au-Mont-d'OrSaint-Didier-au-Mont-d'Or is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France.The residents of the city are called Désidériens.It is one of the richest communes in the urban area of Lyon. It is also the second highest French communes per capita income .-External links:* *...
, Saint-Cyr-au-Mont-d'OrSaint-Cyr-au-Mont-d'OrSaint-Cyr-au-Mont-d'Or is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France.-References:*...
and Collonges-au-Mont-d'OrCollonges-au-Mont-d'OrCollonges-au-Mont-d'Or is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France.-References:*...
. - Between the two rivers, on the Presqu'île (Peninsula) are the 2nd, 1st and 4th arrondissements. The 2nd includes most of the city centre, including Place BellecourPlace BellecourThe Place Bellecour is a large town square in Lyon, France, to the north of the Ainay district. Measuring 312 m by 200 m , it is the largest clear square in Europe, and the third biggest square of France, behind the place des Quinconces in Bordeaux et the place de la...
and Perrache railway station, and reaches as far as the confluenceConfluenceConfluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more bodies of water.Confluence may also refer to:* Confluence , a property of term rewriting systems...
of the two rivers. The 1st is directly to the north of the 2nd and covers part of the city centre (including the Hôtel de VilleCity hallIn local government, a city hall, town hall or a municipal building or civic centre, is the chief administrative building of a city...
) and the slopes (pentes) of the Croix-Rousse, up to Boulevard de la Croix-Rousse. To the north of the Boulevard is the 4th arrondissement, which covers the Plateau of the Croix-Rousse, up to its boundary with Cuire in the commune of Caluire-et-CuireCaluire-et-CuireCaluire-et-Cuire is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France.It is the third-largest suburb of the city of Lyon, and lies adjacent to its north side. It is a component commune of the metropolitan Urban Community of Lyon.-External links:...
. - To the east of the Rhône, are the 3rd, 6th, 7th and 8th arrondissements.
The future – further arrondissements for Lyon?
Although the neighbouring town of VilleurbanneVilleurbanne
Villeurbanne is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France.It is situated northeast of Lyon, with which it forms the heart of the second-largest metropolitan area in France after that of Paris. Villeurbanne is the second-largest city in the department.-History:The current location of...
is sometimes referred to as Lyon's "10th arrondissement", the likelihood of it ever being incorporated into the city is remote. Villeurbanne resisted annexation in 1852 (only ceding its section of the Parc de la Tête d'Or in 1894 in exchange for a considerable payment from its larger neighbour), and now has a sufficiently strong identity and sufficiently high population – 134,000 (2005 estimate), making it France's most populous suburban commune – for the prospect of annexation to be all but dead. Indeed, most of the benefits that being part of Lyon might bring for Villeurbanne are already provided by the Grand Lyon urban community (intercommunality structure).
List of arrondissements
| INSEE code INSEE code The INSEE code is a numerical indexing code used by the French National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies to identify various entities, including communes, départements... |
Postal code | Arrondissement Arrondissement Arrondissement is any of various administrative divisions of France, certain other Francophone countries, and the Netherlands.-France:The 101 French departments are divided into 342 arrondissements, which may be translated into English as districts. The capital of an arrondissement is called a... |
Date of creation | Cantons Cantons of France The cantons of France are territorial subdivisions of the French Republic's 342 arrondissements and 101 departments.Apart from their role as organizational units in certain aspects of the administration of public services and justice, the chief purpose of the cantons today is to serve as... |
Population (2006 Estimates) | Population (1999 Census) | Area (km2) | Density (1999 Census) (/km2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 69381 | 69001 | 1st arrondissement 1st arrondissement of Lyon The 1st arrondissement of Lyon, France is one of the nine arrondissements of the City of Lyon. It is located below the hill of Croix-Rousse and on the north part of the Presqu'île formed by the Saône and the Rhône, the two rivers in Lyon... |
24 March 1852 | Lyon-II | 28,210 | 26,868 | 1.51 | 17,793 |
| 69382 | 69002 | 2nd arrondissement 2nd arrondissement of Lyon The 2nd arrondissement of Lyon is one of the nine arrondissements of the City of Lyon.-History:The first five arrondissements of Lyon were created by the Decree of March 24, 1852, which included the 2nd arrondissement.The current mayor is Denis Broliquier.... |
24 March 1852 | Lyon-I | 30,276 | 27,977 | 3.41 | 8,204 |
| 69383 | 69003 | 3rd arrondissement 3rd arrondissement of Lyon The 3rd arrondissement of Lyon is one of the nine arrondissements of the City of Lyon.-Demography:* 2006: 88,755 inhab* 2007: 89,000 inhab... |
24 March 1852 (former commune de La Guillotière) |
Lyon-VIII, Lyon-XI and Lyon-XIII | 88,755 | 82,568 | 6.34 | 13,003 |
| 69384 | 69004 | 4th arrondissement 4th arrondissement of Lyon The 4th arrondissement of Lyon is one of the nine arrondissements of the City of Lyon.-History:The 4th arrondissement of Lyon was created on 24 March 1852 , with the same borders of the old town of La Croix-Rousse.Dominique Bolliet is currently the mayor of this arrondissement.-Streets and... |
24 March 1852 (former commune of La Croix-Rousse La Croix-Rousse This zone is served by the metro line La Croix-Rousse is a hill in the town of Lyon, France, as well as the name of a quarter located on this hill . It is 254m at its peak... ) |
Lyon-III | 34,302 | 33,797 | 2.93 | 11,535 |
| 69385 | 69005 | 5th arrondissement 5th arrondissement of Lyon The 5th arrondissement of Lyon is one of the nine arrondissements of the City of Lyon.- History :The 5th arrondissement was created on 24 March 1852 . It is the historic center of Lyon. It is at Fourvière that Munatius Plancus founded the Roman colony of Lugdunum in 43 BC... |
24 March 1852 (originally including the former commune of Vaise Vaise Vaise is a quarter of the City of Lyon , located along the Saône at the foot of the plateau Duchère, north-west of the city. Former commune of the Rhône department, Vaise was linked to Lyon on 24 March 1852, to form part of the 5th arrondissement. Vaise was then attached to the 9th arrondissement... , in the 9th since 1964) |
Lyon-V | 47,330 | 46,985 | 6.23 | 7,542 |
| 69386 | 69006 | 6th arrondissement 6th arrondissement of Lyon The 6th arrondissement of Lyon is one of the nine arrondissements of the City of Lyon and one of the poshest.This zone is served by the metro lines , and Tramway T3-Streets and squares:* Boulevard des Belges* Rue de Créqui* Rue Duguesclin... |
17 July 1867 (detachment of a part of the 3rd) |
Lyon-VI and Lyon-VII | 49,965 | 48,167 | 3.77 | 12,776 |
| 69387 | 69007 | 7th arrondissement 7th arrondissement of Lyon The 7th arrondissement of Lyon is one of the nine arrondissements of the City of Lyon.This zone is served by the metro lines and -Squares and streets:* Rue de Créqui* Rue Duguesclin* Rue Garibaldi* Rue de l'Université... |
8 March 1912 (detachment of a part of the 3rd) |
Lyon-IX and Lyon-X | 69,331 | 61,743 | 9.75 | 6,333 |
| 69388 | 69008 | 8th arrondissement 8th arrondissement of Lyon The 8th arrondissement of Lyon is one of the 9 arrondissements of Lyon.-Quarters:* Le Bachut* Monplaisir Ville* Monplaisir La Plaine, usually known as La Plaine* Mermoz Nord* Mermoz Sud* Les États-Unis* Le Transvaal* Laënnec* Le Grand Trou-Streets:... |
9 February 1959 (detachment of a part of the 7th) |
Lyon-XII and Lyon-XIV | 76,323 | 70,317 | 6.67 | 10,542 |
| 69389 | 69009 | 9th arrondissement 9th arrondissement of Lyon The 9th arrondissement of Lyon is one of the nine arrondissements of the City of Lyon.This zone is served by the metro line .... |
12 August 1964 (detachment of a part of the 5th + the former commune of Saint-Rambert-l'Île-Barbe) |
Lyon-IV | 47,813 | 47,030 | 7.25 | 6,487 |
See also
- List of streets and squares in Lyon