The 15th arrondissement of Paris (XVe arrondissement) is one of the 20 arrondissements of the capital city of France. In spoken French, it is referred to as le quinzième ("the fifteenth"). The 15th arrondissement, called Vaugirard, is situated on the left bank of the River Seine. Sharing the Montparnasse district with the 6th and 14th arrondissements, it is the city's most populous arrondissement, with a population of 229,472 as of 2020. Tour Montparnasse – the tallest skyscraper in Paris – and the neighbouring Gare Montparnasse are both located in the 15th arrondissement, at its border with the 14th. It is also home to the high-rise Beaugrenelle district and the Front de Seine riverside development, as well as the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles convention centre, where the 180-metre Tour Triangle is set to house a 120-room hotel and 70,000 square metres of office space in 2026. Close is the Héliport de Paris, the city heliport, just nearby the border with Issy-les-Moulineaux.

History

The loi du 16 juin 1859 decreed the annexation to Paris of the area between the old Wall of the Ferme générale and the Wall of Thiers. The communes of Grenelle, Vaugirard and Javel were incorporated into Paris in 1860. Politician Charles Michels (born 1903) was elected a deputy for the 15th arrondissement under the Popular Front; he was taken hostage and shot by the Nazis in 1941. A Métro station and street now bear his name.

Quarters

As in all the Parisian arrondissements, the fifteenth is made up of four administrative quarters (quartiers). The early airfield here has been encroached upon by urban development and a sports centre, but the residual area, mainly laid to grass, continues to serve Paris as a heliport. The Sécurité Civile has a detachment there close to maintenance facilities. Customs facilities are available and especially busy during the Salon d'Aeronautique airshows held at Le Bourget on the other side of the city.

Geography

The 15th arrondissement is located in the southwestern part of Paris, on the left bank of the Seine. It includes one of the three islands in Paris, the Île aux Cygnes (Isle of the Swans), on the border with the 16th arrondissement. It also borders the 6th, 7th and 14th arrondissements. At 8.5 km2, it is the third-largest arrondissement in Paris; it would be the largest if the large parks Bois de Boulogne and Bois de Vincennes were not counted as part of the 16th and 12th arrondissements, respectively.

Demographics

Historical population

Places of interest

Government and infrastructure

Economy

Education and research

Notable people