Châlons-en-Champagne facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Châlons-en-Champagne
Prefecture and commune
City Hall of Châlons-en-Champagne
Coat of arms
Châlons-en-Champagne Location in France Show map of France Châlons-en-Champagne Location in Grand Est Show map of Grand Est
Country	France
Region	Grand Est
Department	Marne
Arrondissement	Châlons-en-Champagne
Canton	Châlons-en-Champagne-1, 2 and 3
Intercommunality	CA Châlons-en-Champagne
Area 1	26.05 km2 (10.06 sq mi)
Population  (2014)	45,002
• Density	1,727.5/km2 (4,474.3/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	51108 /51000
Elevation	82–84 m (269–276 ft) (avg. 83 m or 272 ft)
Website	Official website: http://www.chalonsenchampagne.fr/
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Châlons-en-Champagne is a city in northeastern France. It's the main city, or "capital," of the Marne department in the Grand Est region. Even though it's the capital, it's the second-largest city in the department, after Reims. Don't mix it up with Chalon-sur-Saône, which is another city in France!

A Quick Look at History

Châlons-en-Champagne used to be called Châlons-sur-Marne. People decided to change its name to Châlons-en-Champagne in 1995. This change was first rejected in 1997, but it was finally accepted in 1998.

Where is Châlons-en-Champagne?

Châlons-en-Champagne is right in the middle of the Marne department. The Marne river flows through the western part of the city.

The city covers an area of about 26.1 square kilometers (10.1 square miles). Its average height above sea level is 116 meters (381 feet). At the city hall, the height is 85 meters (279 feet).

Here's how far Châlons-en-Champagne is from some other big cities:

• Paris, the capital of France - 192 km (119 mi)
• Strasbourg - 314 km (195 mi)
• Reims - 49 km (30 mi)
• Bordeaux - 760 km (472 mi)
• Toulouse - 851 km (529 mi)
• Montpellier - 745 km (463 mi)
• Lyon - 449 km (279 mi)
• Nantes - 564 km (350 mi)
• Marseille - 760 km (472 mi)

Map of the commune of Châlons-en-Champagne

Châlons-en-Champagne is surrounded by several other towns. These include L'Épine, Saint-Memmie, Sarry, Compertrix, Fagnières, and Saint-Martin-sur-le-Pré.

	Saint-Martin-sur-le-Pré		L'Épine
	Fagnières		Saint-Memmie
		Châlons-en-Champagne
	Compertrix	Sarry	Sarry

What's the Weather Like?

The climate in Châlons-en-Champagne is called an "Oceanic climate" or Maritime Temperate climate. This means it has mild temperatures and rainfall throughout the year.

The average temperature for the whole year is 10°C (50°F). July is usually the warmest month, with an average temperature of 20°C (68°F). January is the coolest month, with an average temperature of 0°C (32°F).

The city gets about 627.4 millimeters (24.7 inches) of rain each year. July is the wettest month, with about 61 millimeters (2.4 inches) of rain. February is the driest month, with around 40.6 millimeters (1.6 inches) of rain.

How Many People Live Here?

The people who live in Châlons-en-Champagne are called Châlonnais (for men) and Châlonnaises (for women) in French.

In 2014, the city had 45,002 people living there. This means there were about 1,727 people for every square kilometer (4,473 people per square mile).

Evolution of the population in Châlons-en-Champagne

Châlons-en-Champagne and four other nearby towns form an "urban area." In 2014, this area had 57,571 people and covered 74.8 square kilometers (28.9 square miles). This urban area is the center of a larger "metropolitan area" that includes 66 towns. This bigger area had 81,486 people in 2014 and covered 1,129.6 square kilometers (436.1 square miles).

How the City is Governed

Châlons-en-Champagne has been the main city, or prefecture, of the Marne department since 1800. It's also the capital of the Châlons-en-Champagne area. The city is the administrative center for three "cantons," which are like smaller districts:

• Châlons-en-Champagne-1: This canton includes 3 towns and part of Châlons-en-Champagne. In 2014, it had 26,915 people.
• Châlons-en-Champagne-2: This canton includes 18 towns and part of Châlons-en-Champagne. In 2014, it had 25,837 people.
• Châlons-en-Champagne-3: This canton includes 41 towns and part of Châlons-en-Champagne. In 2014, it had 25,430 people.

The city is also part of a group of towns called Châlons Agglo. This group works together on things like public services.

Sister Cities Around the World

Châlons-en-Champagne has "sister city" relationships with several cities in other countries. This means they share culture and friendly ties.

Cool Places to Visit

If you visit Châlons-en-Champagne, here are some interesting places you might want to see:

• The Mâcon Cathedral (Cathédrale Saint-Vincent de Mâcon) in the town center.
• The Saint-Pierre Church (Èglise Saint-Pierre) in the Place Saint-Pierre.
• The Museum of Fine Arts, which used to be an old convent.
• Hôtel Senecé, which is now a museum about the famous poet Alphonse de Lamartine.

Famous People from Châlons-en-Champagne

Some well-known people are from or connected to Châlons-en-Champagne:

• Alphonse de Lamartine (1790-1869), a famous poet.
• Georges Duby (1919–1996), an important historian.

Gallery

Panoramic view of the town hall square in Châlons-en-Champagne.

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  Prefecture of Marne

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  Old Town of Châlons.

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  Saint-Étienne Cathedral of Châlons.

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  Saint-Alpin church.

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  Chateau du Marché.

Related Pages

• Arrondissement of Châlons-en-Champagne
• Communes of the Marne department

Images for kids

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  Cloister Notre-Dame-en-Vaux

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  The station

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  The Arts et Métiers ParisTech (1806).

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  Châlons en Champagne in 1623

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  Hôtel de la Haute Mère Dieu in the 19th century

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  Hôtel de Ville

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  Notre-Dame-en-Vaux church

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  Cloister Notre-Dame-en-Vaux

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  Interior view of Saint-Alpin (1907).

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  Sainte-Croix Gate

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  War memorial "The Last Relief"

See also

In Spanish: Châlons-en-Champagne para niños