Opfikon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Opfikon
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 Opfikon
Location in Switzerland
Opfikon
Location in Canton of Zürich
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| Country | Switzerland | |
| Canton | Zürich | |
| District | Bülach | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 5.59 km2 (2.16 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 459 m (1,506 ft) | |
| Population
(Dec 2020 )
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| • Total | 20,954 | |
| • Density | 3,748/km2 (9,709/sq mi) | |
| Postal code |
8152
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| Localities | Opfikon, Glattbrugg, Oberhausen | |
| Surrounded by | Kloten, Wallisellen, Zürich, Rümlang | |
Opfikon is a town in Switzerland. It is located in the canton of Zürich, which is like a state or region in Switzerland. Opfikon is part of the Bülach district. It's a lively place with a rich history and a strong economy.
Contents
About Opfikon
Opfikon is a town that is part of a larger area called a municipality. It is located in the beautiful country of Switzerland. The town is known for its interesting past and its important role in the region today.
Opfikon's Coat of Arms
The coat of arms for Opfikon has a special design. It is split into two parts. The top part is red and shows the upper body of a man wearing a black coat with a white collar. The bottom part is silver and features a black cross. This design tells a story about the town's history and identity.
Where is Opfikon?
Opfikon is located just northeast of the big city of Zürich. It sits in a valley called the Glatt Valley, which is near the Zurich Airport. This means it's part of the larger Zürich area. The land in this region, known as the Zurichois Lowlands, is mostly flat.
The lowest point in Opfikon is about 420 meters (1,378 feet) above sea level. This is near the border with the town of Rümlang. The highest point is in the Hard forest, at about 481 meters (1,578 feet) above sea level.
- About 37% of Opfikon's land is covered by buildings and homes.
- 17% is covered by forests.
- 27% is used for farming.
- 17.6% is for roads and other transportation.
- 1.2% is covered by water, like rivers or lakes.
A Look at Opfikon's History
Opfikon as we know it today grew from two older settlements. One was Opfikon itself, located on the right side of the Glatt River. On the other side of the river was a place called Oberhusen.
Glattbrugg was originally just a bridge over the Glatt River. Its name means "bridge over the Glatt." Over time, a smithy (a place where metal is worked) and a mill were built near the bridge. A settlement then grew around these buildings.
Changes Over Time
During a period called the Helvetic Republic (1798–1803), Opfikon became part of the municipality of Kloten. Oberhusen, across the river, joined the commune of Seebach.
After Napoleon's Act of Mediation in 1803, things changed again. Opfikon and Oberhusen were joined together to form one commune called Opfikon. This new commune became part of the Bülach district.
Later, in 1815, Opfikon and Oberhusen (which included Glattbrugg) became separate civil communities within the political commune of Opfikon. In 1918, these two civil communities officially merged into the existing political commune of Opfikon.
Opfikon-Glattbrugg
Over the years, Glattbrugg became a very important part of the municipality. Because of this, the name Oberhusen is used less and less. Now, the whole municipality is often called Opfikon-Glattbrugg. This helps people tell the difference between the entire municipality and just the original Opfikon area.
Who Lives in Opfikon?
Opfikon has a growing population. As of the latest count, many people call Opfikon home. About 41.5% of the people living in Opfikon are from other countries. The population has grown quite a bit over the last ten years, increasing by about 21.1%.
Languages Spoken
Most people in Opfikon speak German, which is the main language. Italian is the second most common language, and Serbo-Croatian is the third.
Age Groups
When looking at the ages of people in Opfikon:
- Children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up about 18.6% of the population.
- Adults (20–64 years old) make up about 68.1%.
- Seniors (over 64 years old) make up about 13.4%.
Many adults in Opfikon have completed higher education. About 64.4% of people aged 25–64 have finished either upper secondary education or further higher education, like university.
Population Growth Over Time
The number of people living in Opfikon has changed a lot over the centuries:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1467 | 7 Households |
| 1634 | 26 |
| 1850 | 611 |
| 1900 | 706 |
| 1950 | 2,613 |
| 1970 | 11,115 |
| 2000 | 12,062 |
| 2022 | 21,213 |
In 1634, Oberhausen, which is part of Opfikon today, had 9 households.
Opfikon's Economy
Opfikon is in a great location, close to both the city of Zürich and its airport. This makes it an attractive place for many large companies to have their main offices.
Some of the big companies located in Opfikon include:
- Adecco: One of the largest companies in the world that helps people find jobs.
- Swissport: The biggest company globally that provides services for airlines and airports.
- Hotelplan: A major Swiss travel company. Its part, Interhome, offers about 50,000 holiday homes in many countries.
- The Nuance Group: Runs 400 shops in airports around the world.
- Trivadis: An independent IT services company with many employees across several countries.
- VBG Verkehrsbetriebe Glattal AG: Operates public transportation in the region.
- Other companies like Mondelez Europe, Cadillac Europe, and the airline Zimex also have offices here.
Some airlines, like Belair Airlines (a part of Air Berlin), Germania Flug, and Zimex Aviation, have their main offices in Glattbrugg, which is part of Opfikon. Kraft Foods Europe also has its main office in Glattpark, Opfikon.
Opfikon has a low unemployment rate of about 4.63%. Many people work in different types of jobs:
- About 80 people work in the primary economic sector, which includes things like farming.
- 1,510 people work in the secondary sector, which involves manufacturing and building.
- 14,456 people work in the tertiary sector, which includes services like retail, finance, and tourism.
Education in Opfikon
The main school system in Opfikon is called Schule Opfikon. It has classes in several different campuses located in Glattbrugg, including Lättenwiesen, Oberhausen, Mettlen, and Halden. There is also a music school, the Musikschule, in Glattbrugg.
Getting Around Opfikon
Opfikon has excellent public transportation. It has two railway stations: Glattbrugg and Opfikon. These stations are on different train lines but are only about 250 meters (820 feet) apart.
- Opfikon station is served by the Zürich S-Bahn line S7.
- Glattbrugg station is served by S-Bahn lines S9 and S15.
- You can get from Opfikon to Zürich Hauptbahnhof (Zürich's main train station) in about 11 minutes by S-Bahn.
Opfikon also has the Stadtbahn Glattal, which is a light rail system. It connects with the Zürich tram system. Several tram stops are located in Opfikon.
- Tram routes 10 and 12 go through Glattbrugg railway station. They travel from Zurich Airport to central Zürich and Stettbach railway station, respectively.
- Tram route 11 runs along the southern edge of Opfikon. It travels from central Zürich to Auzelg in the nearby town of Wallisellen.
What Does the Name Opfikon Mean?
The name Opfikon comes from old words. The ending -(i)kon or -(i)ken is common in this part of Switzerland. It comes from the suffix -ing- (meaning "followers of") and the word hof (meaning "landed estate"). This type of name was common around the 7th or 8th century.
The first part of the name, Opfi-, likely comes from an old personal name like *Opfo. This name might have been a short form of a name like Otfried.
The oldest confirmed record of the name (Obtinchofa/Obfinchoven) is from the year 1153. There's an older record from 744 that mentions Ubinchova, but it's not certain if this refers to Opfikon.
