Paris (France) – Location, History, Facts

Paris is the capital of France, located in north-central France at approximately 48. 8566° N, 2.

Paris, France.

Country: France
Coordinates: 48.8567° N, 2.3522° E

Paris overview

Paris is the capital of France, located in north-central France at approximately 48.8566° N, 2.3522° E. Its compact municipal territory functions as both a commune and a department. The city’s 20 arrondissements, used for local government and statistical purposes, form a clockwise spiral from the historic centre. Paris is a principal European centre of politics, culture, and economic activity, noted for its national institutions, major cultural collections, and influence on modern urban planning.

Official recorded sales

Residential property prices in Paris

The median recorded residential sale price was €10,247 per m² across 151,578 qualifying transactions in 2021–2025. This is a historical transaction measure, not a live asking price or a valuation.

Apartment median: €10,238/m²
House median: €14,143/m²
Source updated: 2026-07-17

Open the full data analysis and methodology

Paris coordinates

Paris is commonly mapped at approximately 48.8567° N, 2.3522° E, or 48.8567, 2.3522 in decimal degrees.

Degrees: 48.8567° N, 2.3522° E

Decimal: 48.8567, 2.3522

Where Paris is located

Paris is in France, in the north-central part of the country within the Île-de-France administrative region, at approximately 48.8566° N, 2.3522° E. The city occupies low-lying terraces in the Paris Basin and is divided by the Seine into two banks. The river also contains the natural islands of Île de la Cité and Île Saint-Louis. Covering roughly 105 square kilometres, the municipal territory is also the department of Paris, numbered 75, and adjoins Hauts-de-Seine, Seine-Saint-Denis, and Val-de-Marne.

Why Paris is important

Paris has a major concentration of cultural, educational, economic, financial, and administrative institutions. Its museums and collections include the Louvre, while research and higher-education establishments include the Sorbonne and the Institut Pasteur. Publishing and fashion also have a substantial presence in the city. Its dense heritage of buildings and monuments, including the UNESCO-listed urban ensemble along a central stretch of the Seine, reflects architectural and planning models that influenced cities across Europe and beyond.

Paris began as a settlement of the Parisii on islands in the Seine and later developed as the Roman town of Lutetia. During the medieval period, it became an important political and ecclesiastical centre, with royal administration and cathedral schools established in its core. Expansion beyond the Roman and medieval walls created palace precincts, bridges, and commercial quarters. Large-scale nineteenth-century remodelling transformed streets, infrastructure, and buildings, producing many of the regular façades and avenues associated with modern Paris. Further urban and administrative changes shaped the metropolitan structure in the twentieth century.

Natural features of Paris

Paris occupies Seine river terraces within the Paris Basin, with surface relief shaped largely by the river and urban infill. Beneath the city, Lutetian limestone historically provided building stone and left an extensive network of underground quarries. Central streets are commonly lined by continuous mid-rise blocks with pale limestone façades, mansard roofs, and aligned cornices associated with nineteenth-century planning. The architectural landscape also includes Gothic cathedrals, classical palaces and museums, stone and metal bridges across the Seine, and iron lattice monuments from the industrial era.

Environment, protection, and monitoring of Paris

Conservation and management combine municipal, regional, and national responsibilities for Paris’s urban heritage, green spaces, and infrastructure. City authorities maintain public parks and oversee building regulations, while national cultural bodies perform heritage inventories and set conservation standards. Specialized agencies monitor subterranean quarry stability and riverine hydrology to inform planning and engineering interventions. Institutional frameworks include municipal planning instruments, regional cultural directorates, and national heritage services that coordinate statutory protection, restoration projects, and technical monitoring to support long-term stewardship.

Paris facts

Paris developed from a Gallic settlement known as Lutetia and later became the political centre of the French monarchy.
The municipal territory of Paris covers about 105 square kilometres and functions as both a commune and a department within France.
The Louvre is located in central Paris and ranks among the largest museums in the world by exhibition area and collection size.
The twenty arrondissements of Paris are arranged in a clockwise spiral pattern that radiates outward from the historic city centre.
A central stretch of the city along the River Seine is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List for its urban ensemble and monuments.

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