Rhône (department) Facts for Kids

The Rhône department was created a long time ago, on August 12, 1793. Before that, it was part of a larger area called Rhône-et-Loire. This bigger area was split into two new departments: Rhône and Loire.

How Rhône Grew Over Time

When Rhône was first made, the city of Lyon was its eastern border. This meant that towns right next to Lyon were in different departments. As Lyon grew bigger, its suburbs started to spread into these other areas. This made it tricky to manage things, so the borders of Rhône were changed.

In 1852, four towns from a nearby department called Isère became part of Rhône.
Later, in 1967, 23 towns from Isère and six towns from Ain joined Rhône.
In 1971, one more town from Isère was added.

Because of these changes, the size of the Rhône department grew. It went from about 2,791 square kilometers to 3,249 square kilometers. This made it about 16% larger! Many more people also became part of the Rhône department due to these changes.

The Metropolis of Lyon

In 2015, a big change happened. The Metropolis of Lyon became its own special area. Even though Lyon is no longer officially part of the Rhône department, it still acts as its main administrative center. This means many important offices for the department are still in Lyon.

Geography of Rhône

Rivers and Neighbors

The Rhône department is named after the Rhône River, which flows through it. Another important river is the Saône, which joins the Rhône River in Lyon.

Rhône shares its borders with several other departments. These include Ain, Isère, Loire, and Saône-et-Loire.