Saint-Germain-en-Laye (French: [sɛ̃ ʒɛʁmɛ̃ ɑ̃ lɛ] ^ⓘ) is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris, 19.1 km (11.9 mi) from the centre of Paris.

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Saint-Germain-en-Laye
Subprefecture and commune
Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye
Coat of arms
Location of Saint-Germain-en-Laye
Saint-Germain-en-Laye Show map of France Saint-Germain-en-Laye Show map of Île-de-France (region)
Coordinates: 48°53′56″N 2°05′38″E
Country	France
Region	Île-de-France
Department	Yvelines
Arrondissement	Saint-Germain-en-Laye
Canton	Saint-Germain-en-Laye
Intercommunality	CA Saint Germain Boucles Seine
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Arnaud Pericard[1]
Area 1	51.94 km2 (20.05 sq mi)
Population  (2021)[2]	44,380
• Density	850/km2 (2,200/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Saint-Germanois Saint-Germinois
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	78551 /78100 & 78112
Elevation	22–107 m (72–351 ft) (avg. 78 m or 256 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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Inhabitants are called Saint-Germanois or Saint-Germinois. With its elegant tree-lined streets it is one of the more affluent suburbs of Paris, combining both high-end leisure spots and exclusive residential neighborhoods (see the Golden Triangle of the Yvelines).

Saint-Germain-en-Laye is a sub-prefecture of the department. Because it includes the National Forest of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, it covers approximately 48 km² (19 sq mi), making it the largest commune in the Yvelines. It occupies a large loop of the Seine. Saint-Germain-en-Laye lies at one of the western termini of Line A of the RER.

Saint-Germain-en-Laye was founded in 1020 when King Robert the Pious (ruled 996–1031) founded a convent on the site of the present Church of Saint-Germain.^{[citation needed]}

In 1688, James II of England exiled himself to the city after being deposed from the throne in what has become known as the Glorious Revolution. He spent the remainder of his days there, and died on 16 September 1701.^[3]

Prior to the French Revolution in 1789, it had been a royal town and the Château de Saint-Germain the residence of numerous French monarchs. The old château was constructed in 1348 by King Charles V on the foundations of an old castle (château-fort) dating from 1238 in the time of Saint Louis. Francis I was responsible for its subsequent restoration. In 1862, Napoleon III set up the Musée des Antiquités Nationales in the erstwhile royal château. This museum has exhibits ranging from Paleolithic to Celtic times. The "Dame de Brassempouy" sculpted on a mammoth's ivory tusk around 23,000 years ago is the most famous exhibit in the museum.

Kings Henry IV and Louis XIII left their mark on the town. Louis XIV was born in the château (the city's coat of arms consequently shows a cradle and the date of his birth), and established Saint-Germain-en-Laye as his principal residence from 1661 to 1681. Louis XIV turned over the château to James VII & II of Scotland and England after his exile from Britain after the Glorious Revolution in 1688. James lived in the Château for 13 years, and his daughter Louisa Maria Stuart was born in exile here in 1692. James II is buried in the parish church.

Saint-Germain-en-Laye is famous for its 2.4-kilometre (1.5 mi) long stone terrace built by André Le Nôtre from 1669 to 1673. The terrace provides a view over the valley of the Seine and, in the distance, Paris. During the French Revolution, the name was changed along with many other places whose names held connotations of religion or royalty. Temporarily, Saint-Germain-en-Laye became Montagne-du-Bon-Air. During his reign, Napoleon I established his cavalry officers training school in the Château-Vieux.

The Treaty of Saint-Germain was signed in 1919 and was applied on 16 July 1920. The treaty officially registered the breakup of the Habsburg empire, which recognized the independence of Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, and the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (Yugoslavia).^[4]

During the occupation from 1940 to 1944, the town was the headquarters of the German Army. ^{[clarification needed]}

On 1 January 2019, the former commune Fourqueux was merged into Saint-Germain-en-Laye.^[5]

The population data in the table and graph below refer to the commune of Saint-Germain-en-Laye proper, in its geography at the given years. The population of Fourqueux, absorbed in 2019, is not included.

More information Year, Pop. ...

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1793 13,400 —     1800 8,954 −5.60% 1806 9,798 +1.51% 1821 10,291 +0.33% 1831 10,671 +0.36% 1836 10,951 +0.52% 1841 13,618 +4.46% 1846 13,488 −0.19% 1851 12,527 −1.47% 1856 14,283 +2.66% 1861 15,708 +1.92% 1866 17,478 +2.16% 1872 22,862 +4.58% 1876 17,199 −6.87% 1881 15,790 −1.69% 1886 16,312 +0.65% 1891 14,262 −2.65% 1896 16,489 +2.94%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1901 17,297 +0.96% 1906 17,288 −0.01% 1911 18,344 +1.19% 1921 20,008 +0.87% 1926 22,180 +2.08% 1931 21,996 −0.17% 1936 22,539 +0.49% 1946 22,013 −0.24% 1954 29,429 +3.70% 1962 34,621 +2.05% 1968 38,308 +1.70% 1975 37,509 −0.30% 1982 38,499 +0.37% 1990 39,926 +0.46% 1999 38,423 −0.43% 2007 41,517 +0.97% 2012 39,476 −1.00% 2017 40,765 +0.64%
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org.
Source: EHESS[7] and INSEE (2007-2017)[8][9]

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Saint-Germain-en-Laye is connected to other communes by the Résalys bus network operated by Transdev. Saint-Germain-en-Laye is served by Saint-Germain-en-Laye station on Paris RER line A.

It was also served by two stations on the Grande Ceinture Ouest branch of the Transilien Paris-Saint-Lazare suburban rail line: Saint-Germain-Bel-Air–Fourqueux and Saint-Germain–Grande Ceinture. The branch was in operation from 12 December 2004 to 28 June 2019.^[10]

On 6 July 2022 the Île-de-France tramway Line 13 Express opened, serving the two former Grande Ceinture Ouest station, as well as two additional stations within Saint-Germain-en-Laye.^[11][12]

The Achères–Grand-Cormier station is also situated within the Saint-Germain-en-Laye commune. It is served by the Paris RER line A and the Transilien Paris – Saint-Lazare suburban rail line. The station is located in the middle of the Forest of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, far from the urbanized part of the commune.

Capcom Entertainment France, a Capcom subsidiary, has its head office in Saint-Germain-en-Laye.^[15]

As of 2016^[update] the schools in this commune had 20,581 students, with 7,300 of them living in Saint-Germain-en-Laye. There is a high ratio of overall students to town inhabitants. The municipal nursery and primary schools have 3,549 students. 1,026 students attend private schools in the commune.

• The Terrace at Saint-Germain, Spring, 1875 by Alfred Sisley. The Walters Art Museum

• Centre hospitalier intercommunal de Poissy-Saint-Germain-en-Laye mainly in Poissy.

Saint-Germain-en-Laye is twinned with:^[19]

• Aschaffenburg, Germany, since 1975
• Schwelm, Germany
• Ayr, South Ayrshire, Scotland, since 1984
• Winchester, Massachusetts, United States, since 1990
• Konstancin-Jeziorna, Poland, since 1992

• Communes of the Yvelines department
• The works of Antonin Mercié