Europe · capital city

What Is the Capital of Switzerland?

Q: Is Bern the largest city in Switzerland?

No. The largest urban area is Zurich (1.4 million), while Bern has about 441,000.

Q: What time zone is Bern in?

Bern 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 Bern?

Among the capitals of neighbouring countries, Vaduz (Liechtenstein) is the closest, 157 km away in a straight line.

Bern

The capital of Switzerland is Bern. About 441,000 people live in the Bern urban area — 4.9% of the country's population.

441,000

Urban area population

UTC+1

Time zone (+ daylight saving)

46.92°N

Latitude · 7.47°E

Largest city: Zurich

Bern at a glance

Name origin

The origin of the name is uncertain; it is sometimes associated with the German word Baer (bear), but a more likely origin is an Indo-European root word ber, meaning "marshy place".

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

46 55 N, 7 28 E · IANA time zone Europe/Zurich

Location of Switzerland

Central Europe, east of France, north of Italy

Largest cities in Switzerland

Zurich

1.4 million

Bern Capital

441,000

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

Capitals of neighbouring countries

Capitals closest to Bern

Straight-line distance between capitals.

Frequently asked questions about Bern

What is the capital of Switzerland?

The capital of Switzerland is Bern. About 441,000 people live in the Bern urban area — 4.9% of the country's population.

Is Bern the largest city in Switzerland?

No. The largest urban area is Zurich (1.4 million), while Bern has about 441,000.

What time zone is Bern in?

Bern 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 Bern come from?

The origin of the name is uncertain; it is sometimes associated with the German word Baer (bear), but a more likely origin is an Indo-European root word ber, meaning "marshy place".

Which capital is closest to Bern?

Among the capitals of neighbouring countries, Vaduz (Liechtenstein) is the closest, 157 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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