What Is the Capital of France? Paris

Q: What time zone is Paris in?

Paris is on UTC+1 — UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time). Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October.

Q: Which capital is closest to Paris?

Among the capitals of neighbouring countries, Luxembourg (Luxembourg) is the closest, 287 km away in a straight line.

Paris at a glance

Name origin

Name derives from the Parisii, a Celtic tribe that inhabited the area from the 3rd century B.C.; the Celtic settlement became the Roman town of Lutetia Parisiorum (Lutetia of the Parisii); over subsequent centuries it became Parisium and then Paris.

Time zone

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time). Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October.

Coordinates

48 52 N, 2 20 E · IANA time zone Europe/Paris

Location of France

metropolitan France: Western Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay and English Channel, between Belgium and Spain, southeast of the UK; bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Italy and Spain French Guiana: Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Brazil and Suriname Guadeloupe: Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Puerto Rico Martinique: Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Tri

Largest cities in France

1

Paris Capital

11.2 million

2

Lyon

1.8 million

3

Marseille-Aix-en-Provence

1.6 million

4

Lille

1.1 million

5

Toulouse

1.1 million

6

Bordeaux

1.0 million

Urban-area population · CIA World Factbook (public domain)

Capitals of neighbouring countries

Capitals closest to Paris

Straight-line distance between capitals.

Frequently asked questions about Paris

What is the capital of France?

The capital of France is Paris. About 11.2 million people live in the Paris urban area — 16.3% of the country's population.

Is Paris the largest city in France?

Yes — Paris is also the largest urban area of France (11.2 million).

What time zone is Paris in?

Paris is on UTC+1 — UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time). Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October.

Where does the name Paris come from?

Name derives from the Parisii, a Celtic tribe that inhabited the area from the 3rd century B.C.; the Celtic settlement became the Roman town of Lutetia Parisiorum (Lutetia of the Parisii); over subsequent centuries it became Parisium and then Paris.

Which capital is closest to Paris?

Among the capitals of neighbouring countries, Luxembourg (Luxembourg) is the closest, 287 km away in a straight line.

Data: CIA World Factbook (public domain); population: World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0).

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