La Roche-sur-Yon is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France. It is the capital of the department. The demonym for its inhabitants is Yonnais. Known for its historical significance and cultural heritage, La Roche-sur-Yon also houses a wide range of educational institutions, from primary schools to higher education establishments.

History

The town expanded significantly after Napoleon I chose the site as the new préfecture of the Vendée on 25 May 1804, replacing Fontenay-le-Comte (then under its revolutionary name of Fontenay-le-Peuple). At the time, most of La Roche had been eradicated in the Vendée Revolt (1793–96); the renamed Napoléonville was laid out and a fresh population of soldiers and civil servants was brought in. Napoléonville was designed to accommodate 15,000 people. The town was called successively:

Geography

The river Yon flows southward through the commune and crosses the town.

Climate

La Roche-sur-Yon has an oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification Cfb). The average annual temperature in La Roche-sur-Yon is 12.4 C. The average annual rainfall is 885.5 mm with November as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 19.5 C, and lowest in January, at around 6.1 C. The highest temperature ever recorded in La Roche-sur-Yon was 41.5 C on 18 July 2022; the coldest temperature ever recorded was -15.4 C on 10 February 1986.

Population

The population data in the table and graph below refer to the commune of La Roche-sur-Yon proper, in its geography at the given years. The commune of La Roche-sur-Yon absorbed the former communes of Le Bourg-sous-la-Roche-sur-Yon and Saint-André-d'Ornay in 1964.

Administration

The Communauté d'agglomération "La Roche-sur-Yon Agglomération" contains 15 communes: La Roche-sur-Yon is the chief town of the Arrondissement of La Roche-sur-Yon, which covers 11 cantons, 92 communes, and has a population of 230,386 (1999 census). La-Roche-sur-Yon is chief town of two cantons, Canton of La Roche-sur-Yon-1 and Canton of La Roche-sur-Yon-2.

Main sights

Transport

The Gare de La Roche-sur-Yon railway station offers connections to Nantes, Paris, Les Sables-d'Olonne, Bordeaux and several regional destinations. The A87 motorway connects La Roche-sur-Yon with Les Sables-d'Olonne and Angers, the A83 with Nantes and Niort. The airport, situated north of the city, on the East of the Lake "Moulin Papon", is host to a private jet business (SD Aviation), linking the city with Europe and North Africa. The airport is frequently used by general aviation, business jets and charter flights. There is no regular flight though.

Education

Primary and Secondary Education

The commune has designated attendance zones for its primary schools. Schools include:

Higher Education

La Roche-sur-Yon is home to several higher education institutions:

Specialized Institutions

La Roche-sur-Yon also hosts several specialized educational institutions:

Sports

In 2014 La Roche-sur-yon hosted the 2014 French championship of table tennis. La Roche-sur-Yon's Vendéspace hosted one of the first round ties of the 2014 Davis Cup tennis tournament over the weekend of 31 January - 2 February 2014. France hosted Australia as both teams competed for a place in the World Group quarterfinals. In 2015 La Roche-sur-Yon, will host the 2015 FIRS Men's Roller Hockey World Cup, the first time that a World Cup of roller hockey is held in France. In June 2015 La Roche-sur-Yon's Vendéspace will host the qualification tournament for the World Championships in Savate Combat.

Twin towns – sister cities

La Roche-sur-Yon is twinned with:

Notable people