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Isère (department)

Isère
Department
Prefecture building of the Isère department, in Grenoble
Prefecture building of the Isère department, in Grenoble
Coat of arms of Isère
Coat of arms
Location of Isère in France
Location of Isère in France
Coordinates: 45°20′N 05°30′E / 45.333°N 5.500°E / 45.333; 5.500Coordinates: 45°20′N 05°30′E / 45.333°N 5.500°E / 45.333; 5.500
Country France
Region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Prefecture Grenoble
Subprefectures La Tour-du-Pin
Vienne
Government
 • President of the General Council André Vallini
Area
 • Total 7,431 km2 (2,869 sq mi)
Elevation 846 m (2,776 ft)
Highest elevation 4,088 m (13,412 ft)
Lowest elevation 134 m (440 ft)
Population (2013)
 • Total 1,235,387
 • Rank 16th
 • Density 170/km2 (430/sq mi)
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Department number 38
Arrondissements 3
Cantons 29
Communes 521
^1 French Land Register data, which exclude estuaries, and lakes, ponds, and glaciers larger than 1 km2

Isère (French pronunciation: ​[izɛːʁ]; Arpitan: Isera, Occitan: Isèra) is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in eastern France named after the river Isère.

Isère is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. It was created from part of the former province of Dauphiné. Its area has been reduced twice, in 1852 and again in 1967, on both occasions losing territory to the department of Rhône.

In 1852 in response to rapid urban development round the edge of Lyon, the (hitherto Isère) communes of Bron, Vaulx-en-Velin, Vénissieux and Villeurbanne were transferred to Rhône. In 1967 the redrawing of local government borders led to the creation of the Urban Community of Lyon (more recently known simply as Greater Lyon / Grand Lyon). At that time intercommunal groupings of this nature were not permitted to straddle departmental frontiers, and accordingly 23 more Isère communes (along with 6 communes from Ain) found themselves transferred to Rhône. The affected Isère communes were Chaponnay, Chassieu, Communay, Corbas, Décines-Charpieu, Feyzin, Genas, Jonage, Jons, Marennes, Meyzieu, Mions, Pusignan, Saint-Bonnet-de-Mure, Saint-Laurent-de-Mure, Saint-Pierre-de-Chandieu, Saint-Priest, Saint-Symphorien-d'Ozon, Sérézin-du-Rhône, Simandres, Solaize, Ternay and Toussieu.


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