Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô | |
|---|---|
Prefecture and commune | |
A view of Saint-Lô from the Notre-Dame church | |
Location of Saint-Lô | |
| Coordinates: 49°07′N 1°05′W / 49.12°N 1.09°W | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Normandy |
| Department | Manche |
| Arrondissement | Saint-Lô |
| Canton | Saint-Lô-1 and 2 |
| Intercommunality | Saint-Lô Agglo |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–2026) | Emmanuelle Lejeune (DVD) |
Area 1 | 23.19 km2 (8.95 sq mi) |
| Population (2022) | 19,352 |
| • Density | 830/km2 (2,200/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 50502 /50000 |
| Elevation | 7–134 m (23–440 ft) (avg. 14 m or 46 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Saint-Lô (US: /sæ̃ ˈloʊ, seɪnt -, sənt -/, French: [sɛ̃ lo] ⓘ; Breton: Sant Lo) is a commune in northwest France, the capital of the Manche department in the region of Normandy.
Although it is the second largest city of Manche after Cherbourg, it remains the prefecture of the department. It is also chef-lieu of an arrondissement and two cantons (Saint-Lô-1 and Saint-Lô-2). The placename derives from that of a local saint, Laud of Coutances.
The commune has 18,931 inhabitants who are called Saint-Lois(es). The names of Laudois(es), Laudien(ne)s or Laudinien(ne)s are also cited. A martyr city of World War II, Saint-Lô was decorated with the Legion of Honour in 1948 and was given the nickname "Capital of the Ruins", a phrase popularised by Samuel Beckett.