Quick answerParis is the capital and largest city of France, with 2,103,778 people inside the city limits in 2023. The wider metropolitan area had about 13.3 million people in 2023. It is best known for the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre Museum and the Notre-Dame Cathedral. Its official language is French, and its currency is the Euro.
Paris is the capital and largest city of France, with about 2.1 million people inside the city limits and about 13.3 million in the metropolitan area (2023). It stands on the River Seine in northern France and is home to the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and Notre-Dame Cathedral.
Key facts
| Country | France |
|---|---|
| Population (city) | 2,103,778 (2023) |
| Population (metro) | 13,320,752 (2023) · INSEE aire d'attraction (functional / metropolitan area), 2023 |
| Elevation | 78 m above sea level |
| Time zone | Europe/Paris |
| Language | French |
| Currency | Euro (EUR, €) |
| Coordinates | 48.8567° N, 2.3522° E |
Overview
Paris is the capital of France and the centre of the Île-de-France region. The city proper covers 105.4 square kilometres and is divided into 20 arrondissements that spiral out from the historic heart on the River Seine. About 2.1 million people lived inside the city limits in 2023, while the wider metropolitan area held about 13.3 million, making Paris by far the largest urban area in France.
The city grew from a settlement on the Île de la Cité, the island in the Seine where Notre-Dame Cathedral stands. Over the centuries it became the seat of French kings, then of the Republic, and a world centre of art, fashion, philosophy and science. Its best-known landmarks line the river and the grand boulevards laid out in the 19th century: the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe and the gardens of the Tuileries and Luxembourg.
Today Paris is France's political, economic and cultural capital. It hosts the national government, the headquarters of major French companies, and some of the world's most visited museums. The city is also famous for its food, from neighbourhood bakeries to haute cuisine, and for its role in fashion. Most visitors arrive for the landmarks, but the city's daily life — its markets, cafés, parks and the banks of the Seine — is what makes people return.
What Paris is known for
- Eiffel Tower
- Louvre Museum
- Notre-Dame Cathedral
- Fashion and art
- French cuisine
- River Seine
Landmarks
- Eiffel Tower
- Louvre Museum
- Notre-Dame Cathedral
- Arc de Triomphe
- Sacré-Cœur Basilica
- Musée d'Orsay
- Palace of Versailles (nearby)
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Paris?
About 2.1 million people live inside the Paris city limits (2,103,778 in 2023, according to INSEE). The wider metropolitan area, which includes the suburbs and commuter towns around the city, had about 13.3 million people in 2023. That gap is why Paris can look small on a map and huge in practice.
What is Paris famous for?
Paris is famous for the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre museum, Notre-Dame Cathedral and the River Seine. It is also known as a centre of fashion, art, food and film, and for neighbourhoods such as Montmartre, Le Marais and Saint-Germain-des-Prés. The city centre is compact and best explored on foot or by Metro.
Where is Paris located?
Paris is in northern France, on the River Seine, across the English Channel from London and about 390 kilometres north-west of Lyon. It is the capital of France and of the Île-de-France region. Its coordinates are 48.86° N, 2.35° E, and its time zone is Central European Time.
Quick quiz
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Keep exploring
- France — the country Paris is in
- Marseille — another city in France
- Lyon — another city in France
- Nice — another city in France
- Pierre Curie — born in Paris
- Marie Curie — Polish-French science figure
- Pierre Curie — French science figure
- All cities in France
- All countries — the full list
Sources & last updated
Last updated: . Figures are shown with their year; where sources disagree, the value is left out rather than estimated.