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The nine arrondissements of Lyon are the administrative divisions of the City of Lyon.[1] Unlike the spiral pattern of the arrondissements of Paris, or the meandering pattern of those in Marseille, the layout in Lyon is more idiosyncratic. This is for historical reasons: following the annexation of the communesofLa Guillotière [fr], La Croix-Rousse and Vaise in 1852, the newly enlarged city was divided into 5 arrondissements, which originally spiralled out anticlockwise from the Hôtel de Ville (Town Hall); however, as the city's population expanded, it became necessary to split certain arrondissements, giving rise to today's seemingly random pattern.
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As the 19th century progressed, the area known then as Les Broteaux (sic) started to be developed by Morand and consequently the population of this part of the 3rd arrondissement began to increase rapidly. In 1867, the decision was taken to split the 3rd arrondissement in two, and a 6th arrondissement was created north of Cours Lafayette.
In 1894, the 6th arrondissement was expanded to include all of the Parc de la Tête d'Or, which until then had been split between Lyon and Villeurbanne.
As the turn of the century approached, the southern parts of the 3rd arrondissement also began to experience considerable development. By 1912, the population had increased so much that a decision was once again taken to split the 3rd arrondissement; a 7th arrondissement was created south of Cours des Brosses (today Cours Gambetta/Cours Albert Thomas/Avenue Rockefeller).
The development of Monplaisir and the surrounding area throughout the 20th century led to a further split, in 1959, when an 8th arrondissement was created to the east of the Lyon–Marseille railway line.
Four years later, Lyon's last annexation took place: in 1963, the commune of St-Rambert-l'Île-Barbe was incorporated into the 5th arrondissement. However, one year later, the decision was taken to split what had become a sprawling and populous arrondissement into two: in 1964, the 9th arrondissement came into being. The seemingly arbitrary boundary (along Avenue Barthélemy Buyer and across Fourvière to join the banks of the Saône north of St-Paul), which does not follow the historical limit between Lyon and Vaise (which lay further north), was probably drawn for convenience's sake prior to the completion of the Champvert neighbourhood, which is now split between the 5th and the 9th arrondissements.
Geographically, Lyon's two main rivers, the Saône and the Rhône, divide the arrondissements into three groups:
Although the neighbouring town of Villeurbanne is sometimes referred to as Lyon's "10th arrondissement", the likelihood of it ever being incorporated into the city is remote. Villeurbanne resisted annexation in 1852 (only ceding its section of the Parc de la Tête d'Or in 1894 in exchange for a considerable payment from its larger neighbour), and now has a sufficiently strong identity and sufficiently high population – 134,000 (2005 estimate), making it France's most populous suburban commune – for the prospect of annexation to be all but dead. Indeed, most of the benefits that being part of Lyon might bring for Villeurbanne are already provided by the Grand Lyon urban community (intercommunality structure).
| INSEE code | Postal code | Arrondissement | Date of creation | Cantons | Population (2006 Estimates) | Population (1999 Census) | Area (km2) | Density (1999 Census) (/km2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 69381 | 69001 | 1st arrondissement | 24 March 1852 | Lyon-II | 28,210 | 26,868 | 1.51 | 17,793 |
| 69382 | 69002 | 2nd arrondissement | 24 March 1852 | Lyon-I | 30,276 | 27,977 | 3.41 | 8,204 |
| 69383 | 69003 | 3rd arrondissement | 24 March 1852 (former commune de La Guillotière [fr]) |
Lyon-VIII, Lyon-XI and Lyon-XIII | 88,755 | 82,568 | 6.34 | 13,003 |
| 69384 | 69004 | 4th arrondissement | 24 March 1852 (former commune of La Croix-Rousse) |
Lyon-III | 34,302 | 33,797 | 2.93 | 11,535 |
| 69385 | 69005 | 5th arrondissement | 24 March 1852 (originally including the former commune of Vaise, in the 9th since 1964) |
Lyon-V | 47,330 | 46,985 | 6.23 | 7,542 |
| 69386 | 69006 | 6th arrondissement | 17 July 1867
Lyon VI - Frederick Siedel
Lyon VII - Karl Frederick Sickerdick |
Lyon-VI and Lyon-VII | 49,965 | 48,167 | 3.77 | 12,776 |
| 69387 | 69007 | 7th arrondissement | 8 March 1912 (detachment of a part of the 3rd) |
Lyon-IX and Lyon-X | 69,331 | 61,743 | 9.75 | 6,333 |
| 69388 | 69008 | 8th arrondissement | 9 February 1959 (detachment of a part of the 7th) |
Lyon-XII and Lyon-XIV | 76,323 | 70,317 | 6.67 | 10,542 |
| 69389 | 69009 | 9th arrondissement | 12 August 1964 (detachment of a part of the 5th + the former commune of Saint-Rambert-l'Île-Barbe [fr]) |
Lyon-IV | 47,813 | 47,030 | 7.25 | 6,487 |