Chatou

Chatou
Commune
Town hall
Town hall
Coat of arms of Chatou
Coat of arms
Location (in red) within Paris inner and outer suburbs
Location (in red) within Paris inner and outer suburbs
Location of Chatou
Chatou is located in France
Chatou
Chatou
Location within France
Chatou is located in Île-de-France (region)
Chatou
Chatou
Location within Île-de-France (region)
Coordinates: 48°53′23″N 2°09′26″E / 48.8897°N 2.1573°E / 48.8897; 2.1573
CountryFrance
RegionÎle-de-France
DepartmentYvelines
ArrondissementSaint-Germain-en-Laye
CantonChatou
IntercommunalityCA Saint Germain Boucles Seine
Government
 • Mayor (2024–2026) Michèle Grellier
Area
1
5.08 km2 (1.96 sq mi)
Highest elevation
58 m (190 ft)
Lowest elevation
22 m (72 ft)
Population
 (2023)
30,598
 • Density6,020/km2 (15,600/sq mi)
DemonymCatoviens
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
78146 /78400
Websitewww.chatou.fr
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Chatou (French pronunciation: [ʃatu] ⓘ) is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in northern France. Chatou is a part of the affluent suburbs of western Paris and is on the northwest side of the Seine river about 14 km (9 mi) from the city's centre. It is on the departmental border with Hauts-de-Seine, which follows the Seine.

It is part of the Pays des Impressionnistes, who used to paint there. Pierre-Auguste Renoir described it as the "prettiest spot near Paris".

History

The Hôtel de Ville

The Hôtel de Ville was built as a private residence in 1730.

On 31 May 1875, part of the territory of Chatou was detached and merged with a part of the territory of Le Pecq and a part of the territory of Croissy-sur-Seine to create the commune of Le Vésinet. It boasts many bourgeois mansions of every kind of architecture and owned by private individuals.

Avenue Brimont
Front view
Rear view

Chatou is home to Maison Fournaise on the Île des Impressionnistes, formerly a meeting place for Impressionist painters on the Seine. It was a place where Pierre-Auguste Renoir painted numerous pieces (portraits of the Fournaise family, surrounding landscapes, etc.), most notably the Déjeuner des canotiers (Luncheon of the Boating Party) in 1881. The painting is today part of the Phillips Collection in Washington, DC.

With the opening of the Paris–Saint-Germain-en-Laye railway line in 1837, Parisians went for day trips to the banks of the Seine outside the city and took part in swimming and boating there; they frequented taverns and restaurants in the area, particularly in Chatou. The festive atmosphere inspired Impressionist painters such as Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Alfred Sisley, Gustave Caillebotte and Renoir.

Maison Fournaise restaurant
Surrounding area
Front view
Side view
Paintings in Chatou by Renoir
Luncheon of the Boating Party
Lunch at the Restaurant Fournaise

On 25 August 1944, in Chatou, the Nazis shot 27 people, civilians and members of the French Resistance. This event is today known as the "Massacre des 27 Martyrs".

In 2024 the MACS MTO museum opened in Chatou, the world's first museum dedicated to Sufism.

Population

Transport

Chatou is served by Chatou–Croissy station on Île-de-France's RER Line A.

Education

The community has eight public preschools, five public elementary schools, and two public junior high schools. Schools include:

Elementary:

Junior high schools:

There are also the following private schools:

Lycée Alain, a public senior high school/sixth form college; as well as Institut du Bon Sauveur, a private school with levels preschool through senior high/sixth form, are in nearby Le Vésinet.

Parks and recreation

Parks include:

Notable people

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 12 March 2025.
  2. ↑ "Populations de référence 2023" (in French). National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 18 December 2025.
  3. 1 2 "Renoir à Chatou". voyagesimpressionnistes.com (in French).
  4. ↑ "L'Hotel de Ville rénové". Town of Chatou. 1 September 2025. Retrieved 31 December 2025.
  5. ↑ Staff (2 July 2016). "Actulites Associatives: La Vie Du Patrimoine Et De L'Histoire (in French)". Association Chatou Notre Ville. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  6. ↑ Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui: Commune data sheet Chatou, EHESS (in French).
  7. ↑ Population municipale entre 1968 et 2023, INSEE.
  8. 1 2 "Établissements publics / Carte scolaire Archived 2016-09-08 at the Wayback Machine." Chatou. Retrieved on 2 September 2016.
  9. 1 2 "Établissements privés Archived 2016-09-08 at the Wayback Machine." Chatou. Retrieved on 2 September 2016.
  10. ↑ "Parcs, jardins, squares, hameau Fournaise... Archived 2016-06-09 at the Wayback Machine." Chatou. Retrieved on 2 September 2016.