Payrac (French pronunciation: [pɛʁak]; Occitan: Pairac) is a commune in the Lot department in south-western France. The inhabitants of Payrac are called "Payraçois" and "Payraçoises" in French.

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Payrac
Commune
A general view of Payrac
Location of Payrac
Payrac Show map of France Payrac Show map of Occitanie
Coordinates: 44°47′51″N 1°28′22″E
Country	France
Region	Occitania
Department	Lot
Arrondissement	Gourdon
Canton	Souillac
Intercommunality	Causses et Vallée de la Dordogne
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	François Nadaud[1]
Area 1	19.5 km2 (7.5 sq mi)
Population  (2021)[2]	650
• Density	33/km2 (86/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	46215 /46350
Elevation	125–364 m (410–1,194 ft) (avg. 280 m or 920 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

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Payrac was an important town in the times of ancient Rome, but because of military campaigns and pillages from the Hundred Years' War and the Bubonic Plague, the town's population plummeted to the point where it was nearly uninhabited. Under the influence of lords, peasants moved to and repopulated Payrac.

In 1589, the Huguenot army ravaged Payrac and killed 500 people.

After this period, Payrac underwent an economic revival due to its strategic placement with Paris and Toulouse. Payrac did not undergo change during the Industrial Revolution, and as a result lost half its population.

• Communes of the Lot department