Winterthur | ||
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June 2009 view of the old town
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Coordinates: 47°29′56″N 8°43′43″E / 47.49889°N 8.72861°ECoordinates: 47°29′56″N 8°43′43″E / 47.49889°N 8.72861°E | ||
Country | Switzerland | |
Canton | Zürich | |
District | Winterthur | |
Government | ||
• Executive |
Stadtrat with 7 members |
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• Mayor |
Stadtpräsident (list) Michael Künzle CVP/PDC (as of February 2014) |
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• Parliament |
Grosser Gemeinderat with 60 members |
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Area | ||
• Total | 68.07 km2 (26.28 sq mi) | |
Elevation | 439 m (1,440 ft) | |
Highest elevation (Hulmen) | 687 m (2,254 ft) | |
Lowest elevation (Kläranlage Hard) | 393 m (1,289 ft) | |
Population (Dec 2016) | ||
• Total | 109,377 | |
• Density | 1,600/km2 (4,200/sq mi) | |
Postal code | 8400 | |
SFOS number | 0230 | |
Localities | Stadt (city), Mattenbach, Oberwinterthur, Seen, Töss, Veltheim and Wülflingen | |
Surrounded by | Brütten, Dinhard, Elsau, Hettlingen, Illnau-Effretikon, Kyburg, Lindau, Neftenbach, Oberembrach, Pfungen, Rickenbach, Schlatt, Seuzach, Wiesendangen, Zell | |
Twin towns | Hall in Tirol (Austria), La Chaux-de-Fonds (Switzerland), Pilsen (Czech Republic), Yverdon-les-Bains (Switzerland) | |
Website |
stadt SFSO statistics |
Significant minority groups | |
Nationality | Population (2015) |
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Germany | 4,942 |
Italy | 4,577 |
Macedonia | 2,032 |
Turkey | 1,849 |
Kosovo | 1,439 |
Serbia | 1,285 |
Portugal | 1,049 |
Winterthur (/ˈvɪntərtʊər/, German pronunciation: [ˈvɪntərtuːr]; French: Winterthour) is a city in the canton of Zürich in northern Switzerland. It has the country's sixth largest population, estimated at over 108,000 people, and the ninth largest agglomeration with about 138,000 inhabitants. Today Winterthur is a service and high-tech industry centre, but many people make use of its proximity to Zürich, which lies approximately 30 kilometres (19 mi) to the south-west, and only 22 minutes by train.
The official language of Winterthur is (the Swiss variety of Standard) German, but the main spoken language is the local variant of the Alemannic Swiss German dialect. In the local dialect and by its inhabitants, Winterthur is usually abbreviated as Winti.
Winterthur is connected to Germany by direct trains and enjoys links to Zürich Airport. It is also a regional transport hub: the A1 motorway from Geneva through to St. Margrethen connects in Winterthur with the A4 motorway heading north toward Schaffhausen and the A7 motorway heading close to the Swiss-German border at Kreuzlingen. There are also roads leading to other places such as Turbenthal. The railway station Bahnhof Winterthur is one of the busiest railway stations in Switzerland.