Hittnau facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hittnau
Coat of arms
Hittnau Location in Switzerland Show map of Switzerland Hittnau Location in Canton of Zurich Show map of Canton of Zurich
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Zurich
District	Pfäffikon
Area
• Total	12.96 km2 (5.00 sq mi)
Elevation	640 m (2,100 ft)
Population  (Dec 2020 )
• Total	3,733
• Density	288.04/km2 (746.0/sq mi)
Postal code	8335
Surrounded by	Bäretswil, Bauma, Pfäffikon

Hittnau is a small town, or municipality, located in the Pfäffikon district of the Zürich canton in Switzerland. It's a lovely place with a rich history and beautiful nature.

A Look Back: Hittnau's History

Hittnau has a long history! The town was first mentioned way back in the year 905. Back then, it was known by the name Hittenouva.

Exploring Hittnau's Geography

Aerial view of Oberhittnau from 300 meters high (1922)

Hittnau covers an area of about 13 square kilometers (5 square miles). A large part of this land, about 50%, is used for farming. Forests cover another 37.5% of the area.

About 11.8% of Hittnau is built up with buildings and roads. The remaining small part, 0.7%, includes natural features like rivers. In 1996, houses and other buildings made up 7.6% of the total area. Roads and other transport areas made up 4.2%.

Hittnau is located between two valleys: the Pfäffikon valley and the Tösstal valley. The municipality includes several smaller areas. These are Ober- and Unterhittnau, Dürstelen, Isikon, Hasel, Schönau, and Hofhalden.

People and Life in Hittnau

The birthplace of Jakob Stutz, a famous author from the 18th century, in Hittnau

Hittnau has a population of 3,733 people. About 7% of the people living here are from other countries. The population has been growing quite a bit, increasing by over 21% in the last 10 years.

Most people in Hittnau speak German, about 95.2%. Italian is the second most common language, spoken by 0.9% of the population. French is third, spoken by 0.7%.

Age Groups and Education

In Hittnau, children and teenagers (up to 19 years old) make up about 29.9% of the population. Adults (20 to 64 years old) are the largest group, at 62.2%. Seniors (over 64 years old) make up 8% of the population.

Most adults in Hittnau are well-educated. About 85.4% of people aged 25-64 have completed higher education. This means they have gone to a university or a specialized college called a Fachhochschule. There are 1151 homes, or households, in Hittnau.

Work and Economy

Hittnau has a low unemployment rate, which means most people who want to work have jobs. About 1.47% of people are looking for work.

The town has different types of jobs:

• Primary Sector: This includes jobs like farming. About 89 people work in this area.
• Secondary Sector: This involves manufacturing and construction. About 310 people work in these jobs.
• Tertiary Sector: This covers services like shops, schools, and healthcare. About 268 people work in the service industry.

Many people in Hittnau work full-time, about 42.3% of the working population. The rest, 57.7%, work part-time.

Political Choices

In the 2007 election, the most popular political group was the SVP. They received about 40.9% of the votes. Other popular groups included the SPS (13.4%) and the FDP (10.2%). Political parties are groups of people who share similar ideas about how the country should be run.

Religious Beliefs

In 2008, there were 715 Catholics and 1867 Protestants in Hittnau. In the year 2000, about 64.1% of the population were Protestant. This included 59.4% who belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church. About 20.5% of the people were Catholic. Some people belonged to other religions, and some did not state a religion or were atheist.

Population Changes Over Time

The number of people living in Hittnau has changed a lot over the years. Here is a look at the historical population: