Humlikon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Humlikon
Former municipality of Switzerland
Coat of arms
Humlikon Location in Switzerland Show map of Switzerland Humlikon Location in Canton of Zurich Show map of Canton of Zurich
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Zurich
District	Andelfingen
Area
• Total	3.70 km2 (1.43 sq mi)
Elevation	420 m (1,380 ft)
Population  (December 2020)
• Total	484
• Density	130.81/km2 (338.8/sq mi)
Postal code	8457
Surrounded by	Adlikon, Andelfingen, Dägerlen, Dorf, Henggart, Neftenbach

Humlikon was once a small town, or municipality, in the canton of Zürich, Switzerland. It was located in the Andelfingen district.

On January 1, 2023, Humlikon joined with Adlikon to become part of the larger municipality of Andelfingen. Humlikon is also known for a sad event in its history: 43 of its residents died in the crash of Swissair Flight 306 in 1963.

History of Humlikon

Humlikon was first mentioned in official records way back in 1228. At that time, its name was written as Humlincon.

An aerial view of Humlikon in 1953.

Geography and Landscape

Humlikon covers an area of about 3.7 square kilometers (which is about 1.4 square miles). A large part of this land, about 63.6%, is used for farming. This means there are many fields and farms around the area.

About 28.3% of Humlikon is covered by forests. The remaining 8.2% of the land is where buildings and roads are located. The municipality is situated south of the Thur river, in a region known as the Zürcher Weinland, which means "Zurich Wine Country."

The Story of Swissair Flight 306

On September 4, 1963, a very sad event happened that deeply affected Humlikon. Forty-three people from the village were traveling together. They were going to visit a special agricultural test site near Geneva. They were on a flight called Swissair Flight 306.

Sadly, the plane crashed shortly after it took off. This terrible accident meant that Humlikon lost a large number of its people. The village had 217 inhabitants at the time, so about one-fifth of everyone living there was lost. Among those who died were all the members of the local council, all the school caretakers, and the person who worked at the post office.

The crash left 39 children without one or both of their parents. However, because many families still had grandparents or older brothers and sisters living with them, most children were able to stay in their homes. Only six children had to move, and almost all of them were raised by relatives in other nearby villages.

After this tragedy, the people of Humlikon had to elect a new local council. This happened on October 26 and 27. It was a difficult time, and it wasn't easy to find enough people to fill all the empty positions on the council.

Population and Community

Humlikon has a population of 484 people (as of 31 December 2020). Over the past ten years (from 2000 to 2010), the number of people living in Humlikon grew by about 10.7%.

Most people in Humlikon speak German, which is about 94.1% of the population. A smaller number of people speak French (1.5%), and some speak Serbo-Croatian (1.0%).

In 2007, the most popular political party in local elections was the SVP. They received more than half of the votes (53.6%). Other parties that received votes included the CSP, the SPS, and the FDP.

When looking at the age of the people in Humlikon (as of 2000):

• Children and teenagers (ages 0–19) made up 26.2% of the population.
• Adults (ages 20–64) made up 63.2% of the population.
• Seniors (over 64 years old) made up 10.5% of the population.

Switzerland is known for having a well-educated population. In Humlikon, about 85.9% of adults (between 25 and 64 years old) have completed a higher level of education. This includes either upper secondary education (like high school) or additional higher education, such as university or a specialized college called a Fachhochschule.

Humlikon has a low unemployment rate of 2.24%. This means most people who want to work can find jobs.

• In 2005, 27 people worked in the primary economic sector. This includes jobs like farming and forestry. There were 12 businesses in this area.
• Four people worked in the secondary sector. This involves manufacturing and construction. There were 2 businesses in this sector.
• The largest number of people, 88, worked in the tertiary sector. This includes jobs in services, like shops, offices, and healthcare. There were 13 businesses in this sector.

Here is a table showing how Humlikon's population has changed over time: