Pfäffikon, Zürich facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pfäffikon
Coat of arms
Pfäffikon Location in Switzerland Show map of Switzerland Pfäffikon Location in Canton of Zürich Show map of Canton of Zürich
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Zürich
District	Pfäffikon
Area
• Total	19.52 km2 (7.54 sq mi)
Elevation	547 m (1,795 ft)
Population  (Dec 2020 )
• Total	12,174
• Density	623.67/km2 (1,615.3/sq mi)
Postal code	8330
Localities	Auslikon, Ober Balm, Unter Balm, Bussenhausen, Irgenhausen, Oberwil, Sulzberg, Hermatswil, Schür, Wallikon, Rick, Ravensbühl, Faichrüti, Rutschberg
Surrounded by	Bäretswil, Bauma, Fehraltorf, Hittnau, Russikon, Seegräben, Uster, Wetzikon, Wildberg

Pfäffikon is a town in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland. It is the main town of its district, also called Pfäffikon. Don't mix it up with Pfäffikon SZ, which is in a different canton and near Lake Zurich.

History of Pfäffikon

In ancient Roman times, a Roman road was built along the Pfäffikersee lake. This road connected important Roman settlements. To keep this route safe, the Irgenhausen Castrum (a Roman fort) was built. We don't know the fort's original Roman name.

The name Pfäffikon was first written down in the year 811 as faffinchova. Later, in 965, it was called haffinchova.

Geography of Pfäffikon

Pfäffikon covers an area of about 19.5 square kilometers (7.5 square miles). A large part of this land, about 43%, is used for farming. Forests cover about 23% of the area. Buildings and roads take up about 17% of the land. The rest, around 16.5%, includes things like rivers and lakes.

Pfäffikon is located on the Pfäffikersee lake in the Zürcher Oberland region. This is southeast of the city of Zürich. It shares borders with several other towns, including Uster and Wetzikon.

The town is divided into different areas or districts. These include Auslikon, Irgenhausen, and Rutschberg, all located by the Pfäffikersee lake. Other areas are Ober Balm, Unter Balm, Bussenhausen, Oberwil, Sulzberg, Hermatswil, Schür, Wallikon, Rick, Ravensbühl, and Faichrüti.

People and Population in Pfäffikon

Pfäffikon has a population of about 12,000 people (as of 2022). Around 17.6% of the people living here are from other countries. The population has been growing steadily over the last ten years.

Most people in Pfäffikon speak German, which is about 87% of the population. Italian is the second most common language, spoken by about 4.6% of people. Albanian is the third most common, spoken by about 2.3%.

In 2007, the most popular political party in local elections was the SVP. They received about 38% of the votes.

Looking at age groups (as of 2000), children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up about 23.5% of the population. Adults (20–64 years old) are the largest group, at 62%. Seniors (over 64 years old) make up about 14.5%.

Many adults in Pfäffikon have a good education. About 73% of people aged 25-64 have finished high school or gone on to higher education, like university. There are around 3,954 households in Pfäffikon.

Pfäffikon has a low unemployment rate, around 2.5%. Many people work in different types of jobs:

• Primary sector: About 200 people work in farming and other basic industries.
• Secondary sector: Around 1,635 people work in manufacturing and construction.
• Tertiary sector: About 2,379 people work in services, like shops, offices, and healthcare.

As of 2008, there were about 2,549 Catholics and 4,771 Protestants in Pfäffikon. In the 2000 census, about 52.5% of people were Protestant, and 27.3% were Catholic.

The table below shows how the population of Pfäffikon has changed over time:

Weather in Pfäffikon

Pfäffikon gets rain on about 139 days each year. On average, it receives about 1,162 millimeters (45.7 inches) of rain annually. August is usually the wettest month, with about 136 millimeters (5.4 inches) of rain. May has the most rainy days, with an average of 13.4 days, but less total rain than August.

Transportation in Pfäffikon

The Pfäffikon ZH railway station is a stop on the S-Bahn Zürich train line S3. This makes it easy to travel to and from Pfäffikon by train.

Famous People from Pfäffikon

Some notable people have connections to Pfäffikon:

• Bernhard Hirzel (1807–1847): A Swiss theologian (someone who studies religion) and Orientalist. He became a pastor in Pfäffikon in 1837.
• Jakob Heusser-Staub (1862–1941): A Swiss industrialist and someone who gave a lot to charity.
• Florian Froehlich (born 1959): A modern artist born in Pfäffikon. He creates paintings, sculptures, and stained-glass art.
• Darije Kalezić (born 1969): A former football player from Bosnia-Herzegovina and Switzerland. He was born in Pfäffikon.

Images for kids

• 

  The Roman Irgenhausen Castrum as seen from nearby Auslikon

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  Aerial view by Walter Mittelholzer (1919)

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  Pfäffikon-Irgenhausen

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  Protestant church

• 

  Pfarrhaus (rectory) and community hall

See also

In Spanish: Pfäffikon (Zúrich) para niños