Pontchâteau

Pontchâteau (French pronunciation: [pɔ̃ʃato] ; Breton: Pontkastell-Keren) is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.

Pontchâteau
Commune
Town hall
Coat of arms
Location of Pontchâteau
Pontchâteau Pontchâteau
Coordinates: 47°25′48″N 2°04′59″W
Country	France
Region	Pays de la Loire
Department	Loire-Atlantique
Arrondissement	Saint-Nazaire
Canton	Pontchâteau
Intercommunality	Pays de Pontchâteau St-Gildas-des-Bois
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Danielle Cornet
Area 1	55.79 km2 (21.54 sq mi)
Population  (2021)	11,075
• Density	200/km2 (510/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	44129 /44160
Elevation	0–52 m (0–171 ft) (avg. 7 m or 23 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Population

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1793 2,703 —     1800 2,572 −0.71% 1806 2,678 +0.68% 1821 3,100 +0.98% 1831 3,300 +0.63% 1841 3,516 +0.64% 1846 3,558 +0.24% 1851 3,667 +0.61% 1856 3,709 +0.23% 1861 4,449 +3.71% 1866 4,158 −1.34% 1872 4,200 +0.17% 1876 4,368 +0.99% 1881 4,481 +0.51% 1886 4,656 +0.77% 1891 4,632 −0.10% 1896 4,814 +0.77% 1901 4,892 +0.32%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1906 5,004 +0.45% 1911 4,883 −0.49% 1921 4,675 −0.43% 1926 4,613 −0.27% 1931 4,606 −0.03% 1936 4,518 −0.39% 1946 5,188 +1.39% 1954 5,200 +0.03% 1962 5,334 +0.32% 1968 5,835 +1.51% 1975 6,394 +1.32% 1982 7,220 +1.75% 1990 7,549 +0.56% 1999 7,773 +0.33% 2007 9,140 +2.05% 2012 9,982 +1.78% 2017 10,684 +1.37%
Source: EHESS and INSEE (1968-2017)

Communications

Pontchâteau is located at a major crossroads, at the junction of the RN 165, the Nantes-Vannes-Brest expressway, and the D 773, the Saint-Nazaire-Redon road.

Pontchâteau also lies on the Savenay–Landerneau railway line, and is served by a station.

Personalities

• Jacques Demy (1931–1990), film director.
• Lydie Denier (1964–), actress.

See also

• Communes of the Loire-Atlantique department