OpenHistoricalMap/Projects/Switzerland/Cities
Cities
These 15 cities (13 of them are cantonal capitals) have been the most populous and politically important settlements since the Middle Ages.
| Name | Canton | independent since | 1850 | 1870 | 1900 | 1910 | 1930 | 1950 | 1970 | 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zürich | Zürich | 1218 (free imperial city) | 41585 | 65668 | 168021 | 215488 | 290937 | 390020 | 422640 | 363273 |
| Genève | Genève | 1536 (republic) | 37724 | 60004 | 97359 | 115243 | 124121 | 145473 | 173618 | 177964 |
| Bern | Bern | 1218 (free imperial city) | 29670 | 90937 | 111783 | 146499 | 162405 | |||
| Basel | Basel-Stadt | 1392 (merged with Kleinbasel) | 27170 | 44122 | 109161 | 132276 | 148063 | 183543 | 212857 | 166558 |
| St. Gallen | St. Gallen | 1180 (free imperial city) | 17858 | 26398 | 53796 | 75482 | 63947 | 68011 | 80852 | 72626 |
| Lausanne | Vaud | 1798 (capital of Canton du Léman) | 17108 | 25845 | 46732 | 64446 | 75915 | 106807 | 137383 | 124914 |
| Winterthur | Zürich | 1415 (free imperial city) | 13651 | 19496 | 40961 | 46384 | 53925 | 66925 | 92722 | 90483 |
| Luzern | Luzern | 1415 (free imperial city) | 10068 | 14400 | 29255 | 39339 | 47066 | 60526 | 69879 | 59496 |
| Fribourg | Fribourg | 1478 (free imperial city) | 9065 | 10581 | 15794 | 20293 | 21557 | 29005 | 39695 | 35547 |
| Schaffhausen | Schaffhausen | 1190 (free imperial city) | 8477 | 11049 | 16320 | 19267 | 23141 | 27261 | 37035 | 34225 |
| Neuchâtel | Neuchâtel | 1214 (free city) | 7901 | 12934 | 21195 | 24171 | 22668 | 27998 | 38784 | 32914 |
| Chur | Grisons | 0451 (Diocese of Chur) | 6183 | 11532 | 14639 | 15574 | 19382 | 31193 | 32989 | |
| Lugano | Ticino | 1798 (capital of Cantone di Lugano) | 5939 | 6836 | 10847 | 14988 | 17672 | 21448 | 27121 | 26560 |
| Biel/Bienne | Bern | 1478 (Swiss Associated City) | 5609 | 32136 | 37726 | 48342 | 64333 | |||
| Solothurn | Solothurn | 1218 (free imperial city) | 5370 | 7008 | 10025 | 11688 | 13734 | 16743 | 17708 | 15489 |
Big Towns and Small Cities
These settlements include one big industrial town (La Chaux-de-Fonds) and two small cities serving as cantonal capitals.
| Name | Canton | independent since | 1750 | 1800 | 1850 | 1870 | 1900 | 1910 | 1930 | 1950 | 1970 | 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Chaux-de-Fonds | Neuchâtel | never (industrial city, mairie (=town) since 1656) | 2363 | 4927 | 12638 | 35968 | 37751 | 35252 | 33300 | 42347 | 37016 | |
| Sion | Valais | 0580 (Diocese of Sion), 0999 | 2201 | 3307 | 5456 | 6751 | 7254 | 8657 | 11770 | 21925 | 27171 | |
| Zug | Zug | 1415 (free imperial city) | 3302 | 4243 | 6508 | 8096 | 11113 | 14488 | 22972 | 22973 |
Towns serving as cantonal capitals
These towns are the most populous and politically important settlements within their canton. Despite their size, Herisau and Schwyz have never claimed to be a city. Sion claimed to be a free imperial city between 1339 and 1352.
| Name | Canton | capital since | 1850 | 1870 | 1900 | 1910 | 1930 | 1950 | 1970 | 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Herisau | Appenzell Ausserrhoden | 1877 | 8147 | 9013 | 11457 | 12488 | 11263 | 10801 | 9674 | 7666 |
| Schwyz | Schwyz | 5432 | 6137 | 7398 | 8000 | 8256 | 10259 | 12194 | 13802 | |
| Aarau | Aargau | 1798 | 4657 | 9593 | 11666 | 14280 | 16881 | |||
| Frauenfeld | Thurgau | 1499 (canton since 1798) | 3444 | 5122 | 7761 | 8459 | 8795 | 11114 | 17576 | 21954 |
| Sion | Valais | 0580 (Diocese of Sion), 0999 | 3307 | 5456 | 6751 | 7254 | 8657 | 11770 | 21925 | 27171 |
| Liestal | Basel-Land | 1832 | 3032 | 3863 | 5403 | 6072 | 6698 | 8449 | 12500 | 12930 |
| Delémont | Jura | 1979 (capital of Jura) | 1650 | 5053 | 6161 | 6393 | 7504 | 11797 | 11353 |