The 3rd arrondissement of Paris (III^e arrondissement, French pronunciation: [tʁwɑzjɛm aʁɔ̃dismɑ̃]) is one of the 20 arrondissements (districts) of the capital city of France. In spoken French, this arrondissement is colloquially referred to as "le troisième" (French pronunciation: [lə tʁwɑzjɛm]) meaning "the third". Its postal code is 75003. It is governed locally together with the 1st, 2nd and 4th arrondissements, with which it forms the 1st sector of Paris, Paris Centre.

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3rd arrondissement of Paris
Municipal arrondissement
The Musée des Arts et Métiers in the medieval priory of Saint-Martin-des-Champs
Coat of arms
Location within Paris
Coordinates: 48°51′49.75″N 2°21′41.97″E
Country	France
Region	Île-de-France
Department	Paris
Commune	Paris
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Ariel Weil (PS)
Area	1.17 km2 (0.45 sq mi)
Population  (2021)[1]	32,793
• Density	28,028/km2 (72,590/sq mi)
INSEE code	75103

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The arrondissement, sometimes known as Temple and situated on the right bank of the River Seine, is the smallest in area after the 2nd. It contains the quieter northern part of the medieval district of Le Marais, while the more lively southern part, notably including the gay district of Paris, is located within the 4th arrondissement.

The oldest surviving private house in Paris, built in 1407, is to be found in the 3rd arrondissement at 52 rue de Montmorency.^[2]

The ancient Jewish quarter, the Pletzl (פלעצל, 'little place' in Yiddish) which dates from the 13th century begins in the eastern part of the 3rd arrondissement and extends into the 4th. It is home to the Musée d'Art et d'Histoire du Judaïsme ('Museum of Jewish Art and History') and the Agoudas Hakehilos synagogue designed by the architect Hector Guimard. Although fashionable boutiques now take up many of the storefronts, there are still landmark stores selling traditional Jewish foods.

A small but slowly expanding Chinatown, inhabited by immigrants from Wenzhou, centers on the rue au Maire, near the Conservatoire national des arts et métiers and the Musée des Arts et Métiers, partly housed in the medieval priory of Saint-Martin-des-Champs.

The area now occupied by the third arrondissement attained its peak population in the period preceding the re-organization of Paris in 1860. In 1999, the population was 34,248, while the arrondissement hosted a total of 29,723 jobs.

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (January 2015)

There are six public high-schools in the 3rd arrondissement, and no private high-schools. ^[4]

• Lycée Victor Hugo, 27 rue de Sevigné
• Lycée Turgot, 69 rue de Turbigo
• Lycée Simone Veil, 7 rue de Poitou
• Lycée Professionel François Truffaut, 28 rue Debelleyeme
• Lycée professionnel de la bijouterie Nicolas Flamel (an annex of the École Boulle), 8 rue de Montmorency
• Lycée professionnel Abbé Grégoire, 70 bis, rue de Turbigo

The Conservatoire national des arts et métiers (CNAM) has its main Paris campus in the area around the métro station to which it gives its name. A grande école, CNAM provides university-level technical and professional qualifications to a student body of over 25,000.