Chalon-sur-Saône Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Chalon-sur-Saône

Subprefecture and commune

Coat of arms

Chalon-sur-Saône

Location in France

Chalon-sur-Saône

Location in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté

Country

France

Region

Bourgogne-Franche-Comté

Chalon-sur-Saône-1, 2 and 3

Intercommunality

Le Grand Chalon

Area

15.22 km² (5.88 sq mi)

Population

(2014)

44,985

• Density

2,955.7/km² (7,655.1/sq mi)

Chalonnais

• Summer (DST)

INSEE/Postal code

71076 /71100

Elevation

172–190 m (564–623 ft)
(avg. 185 m or 607 ft)

Website

www.chalon.fr

¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Chalon-sur-Saône is a lively city and a commune (a type of town or district) in the Saône-et-Loire department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region of France. It is the biggest city in its department. However, the capital city of the department is Mâcon, which is smaller.

Exploring Chalon-sur-Saône's Past
Discovering Chalon-sur-Saône's Location
- Chalon-sur-Saône's Climate
People of Chalon-sur-Saône
How Chalon-sur-Saône is Governed
- Chalon-sur-Saône's Twin Cities
Fun Places to Visit in Chalon-sur-Saône
Famous People from Chalon-sur-Saône
Related Information
Images for kids
See also

Exploring Chalon-sur-Saône's Past

Even before it was called Chalon-sur-Saône, this area was an important town. Ancient Celts lived here, especially a group called the Aedui. They lived between the Saône and Loire rivers. We know this because tools and items from their culture, called the La Tène culture, have been found here.

The first time this town was written about was by the famous Roman leader Julius Caesar. In his book Gallic Wars, he called it Cavillonum or Cabillonum. This shows how old and important the city's location has been for a very long time!

Discovering Chalon-sur-Saône's Location

Chalon-sur-Saône is located right next to the Saône river. It's in the southern part of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region of France. The city is about 338 kilometers (210 miles) southeast of Paris. It's also about 132 kilometers (82 miles) north of Lyon.

The city covers an area of about 15.2 square kilometers (5.9 square miles). Its average height above sea level is 182 meters (597 feet). At the city hall, the building is 178 meters (584 feet) above sea level.

The large Saône river flows through the eastern side of the city. A smaller river called Thalie flows through the western part of the commune.

Chalon-sur-Saône and its Neighboring Towns

Chalon-sur-Saône is surrounded by several other communes. These include Fragnes, Crissey, Châtenoy-en-Bresse, Saint-Marcel, Lux, Saint-Rémy, Châtenoy-le-Royal, and Champforgeuil.

Champforgeuil	Fragnes	Crissey
Châtenoy-le-Royal		Châtenoy-en-Bresse and Saint-Marcel
	Chalon-sur-Saône

Saint-Rémy	Lux

Chalon-sur-Saône's Climate

The weather in Chalon-sur-Saône is known as an Oceanic climate. This means it usually has mild summers and cool winters. It's classified as "Cfb" in the Köppen climate classification system.

People of Chalon-sur-Saône

The people who live in Chalon-sur-Saône are called Chalonnais in French. If you're talking about women, they are called Chalonnaises.

The city has a population of 44,985 people. This means there are about 2,956 inhabitants for every square kilometer.

How the Population of Chalon-sur-Saône Has Changed

Chalon-sur-Saône is part of a larger "urban area" with 9 other communes. This area has about 74,357 people (as of 2013). It covers about 93.8 square kilometers (36.2 square miles). This urban area is also the center of an even larger "metropolitan area." This bigger area includes 90 communes and has about 134,568 people (as of 2013). It covers a total of 1,046.8 square kilometers (404.2 square miles).

How Chalon-sur-Saône is Governed

The beautiful Saint-Vincent Cathedral in Chalon-sur-Saône.

Since the year 1800, Chalon-sur-Saône has been a subprefecture of the Saône-et-Loire department. This means it's an important administrative center. It's also the main town of the arrondissement (a type of district) called Chalon-sur-Saône.

The city is also the main town for three different "cantons" (smaller administrative areas):

Chalon-sur-Saône-1: This canton includes 5 communes and part of Chalon-sur-Saône. About 19,093 people lived here in 2014.
Chalon-sur-Saône-2: This canton is made up of another part of Chalon-sur-Saône. It had about 20,983 people in 2014.
Chalon-sur-Saône-3: This canton includes the commune of Châtenoy-le-Royal and a third part of Chalon-sur-Saône. About 19,559 people lived here in 2014.

Chalon-sur-Saône is also part of a group of communes that work together. This group is called Le Grand Chalon.

Chalon-sur-Saône's Twin Cities

Chalon-sur-Saône has special friendships with cities in other countries. These are called "twin towns" or "sister cities." They often share cultural events and visits. Chalon-sur-Saône is twinned with:

Fun Places to Visit in Chalon-sur-Saône

If you ever visit Chalon-sur-Saône, here are some cool places you might want to see:

St. Vincent's Cathedral: This amazing church is in Saint-Vincent Square. Some parts of it are incredibly old, dating back to the 700s!
Musée Nicéphore-Niépce: This is a museum all about photography. It's a great place to learn how cameras and photos were invented.
Musée Vivant-Denon: This museum is full of beautiful art. You can see many different paintings and sculptures here.

Famous People from Chalon-sur-Saône

Nicéphore Niépce (1765-1833): He was a very important person in history! Nicéphore Niépce was a pioneer of photography. This means he was one of the first people to figure out how to take actual photographs.