Districts of Paris

The districts are administrative divisions. Paris has 20 of them, each with its own mayor. These 20 Parisian districts have the particularity of forming a spiral, a snail shell, with the first numbers starting from the center and unfolding outward until the number 20. Each district is usually further divided into four quarters: one in the northwest, one in the northeast, one in the southwest, and one in the southeast. These unofficial subdivisions are remnants of the revolutionary sections drawn during the restructuring of Paris following the French Revolution.

The Origin of the Parisian Snail Shape

Paris gradually acquired its iconic spiral shape. In 1795, the first districts were created. The capital was much smaller at that time compared to today: it had only 12 subdivisions, classified in ascending order from left to right and spread across two distinct lines on both sides of the Seine. During the major Haussmannian renovations in the second half of the 19th century, the city expanded and neighboring municipalities joined the existing districts. This required revising the plan of Paris, redividing and recomposing the districts to create new ones.

The original plan for the capital assigned the number 13 to the current 16th arrondissement, an idea that did not sit well with its wealthy inhabitants. At that time, the expression "getting married at the town hall of the 13th arrondissement" meant living together without being married, as that district did not yet exist. The idea of being associated with the expression of an morally unacceptable lifestyle did not please the privileged residents, who exerted pressure to avoid being assigned that number. As a result, it was the poor neighborhoods that surrounded the Place d'Italie at the time that were given the number 13, while the affluent neighborhoods were assigned the number 16. To achieve this, a spiral pattern was adopted, with numbers ranging from 1 to 20, starting from the center and extending to the northeast of the city. This layout from 1860 has never changed since, although the La Défense business district is often unofficially referred to as the "21st arrondissement."

Each Parisian Quarter has its Stereotype

The districts are far more than just administrative divisions of the city. They represent very different universes for Parisians, and each evokes stereotypes that, when combined, contribute to the charm of the capital.

To summarize, the "poshest" districts are located in the west of Paris, including the 7th (Invalides, Saint-Thomas-d'Aquin, Ecole Militaire), the 8th (Champs-Elysées, Madeleine), the 15th arrondissement (Grenelle, Vaugirard), and the 16th (Auteuil, Muette, Porte Dauphine), which is the epitome of a bourgeois district. Beautiful buildings, quiet and charming streets, an older population, businessmen... in short, a district that is very "16th" as it is often said.

Next, we find the most popular neighborhoods in the northeast of Paris, as is the case in many capitals. During the industrial revolution of the 1840s, factories and workers settled in the current 18th, 19th, and 20th arrondissements. These areas are also known for being immigration hubs, as affordable housing specifically created for newcomers from Eastern European countries, North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, and eventually Asia could be found here.

Then, there is the 13th arrondissement, which immediately evokes the Chinatown of Paris, with its Asian supermarkets, exotic restaurants that some host karaoke sessions, and Chinese New Year parades. The 11th arrondissement is the new trendy neighborhood, the 6th (Saint-Germain-des-Prés) is associated with the "bobos" (bourgeois bohemians) and literary cafés, and the 8th (Champs-Elysées) is the tourist district... In short, each arrondissement has its own stereotype... and exceptions that confirm the rule.

Discover all the districts with our guided tours in Paris or enjoy a cruise on the Seine.