Lyon

Not to be confused with Lion.
"Lyons" redirects here. For other uses, see Lyon (disambiguation) and Lyons (disambiguation).

Lyon
Liyon (Arpitan)
Prefecture and commune
Confluence District
Pont Lafayette
Flag of Lyon
Flag
Coat of arms of Lyon
Coat of arms
Motto(s): 
Avant, avant, Lion le melhor
(old Franco-Provençal for "Forward, forward, Lyon the best")[a]
Virtute duce, comite fortuna
("With virtue as guide and fortune as companion")[b]
Location of Lyon
Map
Lyon is located in France
Lyon
Lyon
Lyon is located in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Lyon
Lyon
Coordinates: 45°46′N 4°50′E / 45.76°N 4.84°E / 45.76; 4.84
CountryFrance
RegionAuvergne-Rhône-Alpes
MetropolisLyon Metropolis
ArrondissementLyon
Subdivisions9 arrondissements
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Grégory Doucet[2] (EELV)
Area
1
47.87 km2 (18.48 sq mi)
 • Urban
 (2020[3])
1,141.4 km2 (440.7 sq mi)
 • Metro
 (2020[4])
4,605.8 km2 (1,778.3 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[5]
522,250
 • Rank3rd in France
 • Density11,000/km2 (28,000/sq mi)
 • Urban
 (Jan. 2021[6])
1,702,921
 • Urban density1,500/km2 (3,900/sq mi)
 • Metro
 (Jan. 2021[7])
2,308,818
 • Metro density500/km2 (1,300/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
69123 /69001-69009
Elevation162–349 m (531–1,145 ft)
Websitelyon.fr
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Lyon[c] is the third-most populous city of France, at the centre of its second-largest urban area. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, 391 km (243 mi) southeast of Paris, 278 km (173 mi) north of Marseille, 113 km (70 mi) southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, 58 km (36 mi) northeast of Saint-Étienne.

The City of Lyon had a population of 522,250 at the Jan. 2021 census within its small municipal territory of 48 km2 (19 sq mi),[14] but together with its suburbs and exurbs the Lyon metropolitan area had a population of 2,308,818 that same year,[7] the second most populated in France. Lyon and 58 suburban municipalities have formed since 2015 the Metropolis of Lyon, a directly elected metropolitan authority now in charge of most urban issues, with a population of 1,424,069 in 2021.[15] Lyon is the prefecture of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region and seat of the Departmental Council of Rhône (whose jurisdiction, however, no longer extends over the Metropolis of Lyon since 2015).

The capital of the Gauls during the Roman Empire, Lyon is the seat of an archbishopric whose holder bears the title of Primate of the Gauls. Lyon became a major economic hub during the Renaissance. The city is recognised for its cuisine and gastronomy, as well as historical and architectural landmarks; as such, the districts of Old Lyon, the Fourvière hill, the Presqu'île and the slopes of the Croix-Rousse are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Lyon was historically an important area for the production and weaving of silk. Lyon played a significant role in the history of cinema since Auguste and Louis Lumière invented the cinematograph there. The city is also known for its light festival, the Fête des lumières, which begins every 8 December and lasts for four days, earning Lyon the title of "Capital of Lights".

Economically, Lyon is a major centre for banking, chemical, pharmaceutical and biotech industries. The city contains a significant software industry with a particular focus on video games; in recent years it has fostered a growing local start-up sector.[16] The home of renowned universities and higher education schools, Lyon is the second-largest student city in France, with a university population of nearly 200,000 students within the Metropolis of Lyon.[17] Lyon hosts the international headquarters of Interpol, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, as well as Euronews. According to the Globalization and World Rankings Research Institute, Lyon is considered a Beta city, as of 2018.[18] It ranked second in France and 40th globally in Mercer's 2019 liveability rankings.[19]


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  1. ^ "Cicero". Epistulae ad familiares, X.3. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  2. ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022.
  3. ^ "Comparateur de territoire - Unité urbaine 2020 de Lyon (00760)". INSEE. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  4. ^ "Comparateur de territoire - Aire d'attraction des villes 2020 de Lyon (002)". INSEE. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  5. ^ "Populations légales 2021" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
  6. ^ INSEE. "Statistiques locales - Lyon : Unité urbaine 2020 - Population municipale 2021". Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  7. ^ a b INSEE. "Statistiques locales - Lyon : Aire d'attraction des villes 2020 - Population municipale 2021". Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  8. ^ Wells, John C. (2008). Longman Pronunciation Dictionary (3rd ed.). Longman. ISBN 978-1-4058-8118-0.
  9. ^ "Lyons". Lexico UK English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on 24 January 2020.
  10. ^ Jones, Daniel (2011). Roach, Peter; Setter, Jane; Esling, John (eds.). Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary (18th ed.). Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-15255-6.
  11. ^ a b "Lyon". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  12. ^ "Lyons". Collins English Dictionary. HarperCollins. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  13. ^ "dicod'Òc - Recèrca". locongres.org. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  14. ^ INSEE. "Statistiques locales - Lyon : Commune - Population municipale 2021" (in French). Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  15. ^ "Statistiques locales - Métropole de Lyon : Intercommunalité 2021 - Population municipale 2021". INSEE. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  16. ^ "Lyon entrepreneurship, Lyon company, Invest Lyon – Greater Lyon". Business.greaterlyon.com. Archived from the original on 8 March 2010. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
  17. ^ "Classement 2019 des villes étudiantes les plus importantes en France". www.investirlmnp.fr. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  18. ^ "GaWC - The World According to GaWC 2018". www.lboro.ac.uk.
  19. ^ "Quality of Living City Ranking | Mercer". mobilityexchange.mercer.com.