Welcome to Orléans!
Orleans (French: Orléans) is the capital of the Centre-Val de Loire region of north-central France, located some 120 km (75 miles) southwest of the French capital, Paris. The city has just above 100,000 citizens, with a total of 400,000 in the metropolitan area.
Orléans is a city in north-central France, about 120 kilometers (74 miles) southwest of Paris. It is the prefecture of the Loiret department and of the Centre-Val de Loire region, and is located in the Orléanais province.
Orléans is located on the river Loire nestled in the heart of the Loire Valley, classified as a World Heritage Site, where the river curves south towards the Massif Central. In 2017, the city had 116,685 inhabitants within its municipal boundaries. Orléans is the center of Orléans Métropole which has a population of 286,257, the 20th largest in France. The larger metropolitan area has a population of 444,681.
The city owes its development from antiquity to the commercial exchanges resulting from the river. An important river trade port, it was the headquarters of the community of merchants frequenting the Loire. It was the capital of the Kingdom of France during the Merovingian period and played an important role in the Hundred Years' War, particularly known for the role of Joan of Arc during the siege of Orléans. Every first week of May since 1432, the city pays homage to the "Maid of Orléans" during the Johannic Holidays which has been listed in the inventory of intangible cultural heritage in France. One of Europe's oldest universities was created in 1306 by Pope Clement V and re-founded in 1966 as the University of Orléans, hosting 19,000 students in 2019.
The Île d'Orléans in Quebec, Canada is named after Orléans in France as well as Orléans, Ontario and the former French colony of New Orleans, Louisiana (French: La Nouvelle-Orléans).