Cities
These 15 cities (13 of them are cantonal capitals) have been the most populous and politically important settlements since the Middle Ages.
| Name
|
Canton
|
independent since
|
1850
|
1870
|
1900
|
1910
|
1930
|
1950
|
1970
|
2000
|
| Zürich
|
Zürich
|
1218 (free imperial city)
|
41585
|
65668
|
168021
|
215488
|
290937
|
390020
|
422640
|
363273
|
| Genève
|
Genève
|
1536 (republic)
|
37724
|
60004
|
97359
|
115243
|
124121
|
145473
|
173618
|
177964
|
| Bern
|
Bern
|
1218 (free imperial city)
|
29670
|
|
|
90937
|
111783
|
146499
|
162405
|
|
| Basel
|
Basel-Stadt
|
1392 (merged with Kleinbasel)
|
27170
|
44122
|
109161
|
132276
|
148063
|
183543
|
212857
|
166558
|
| St. Gallen
|
St. Gallen
|
1180 (free imperial city)
|
17858
|
26398
|
53796
|
75482
|
63947
|
68011
|
80852
|
72626
|
| Lausanne
|
Vaud
|
1798 (capital of Canton du Léman)
|
17108
|
25845
|
46732
|
64446
|
75915
|
106807
|
137383
|
124914
|
| Winterthur
|
Zürich
|
1415 (free imperial city)
|
13651
|
19496
|
40961
|
46384
|
53925
|
66925
|
92722
|
90483
|
| Luzern
|
Luzern
|
1415 (free imperial city)
|
10068
|
14400
|
29255
|
39339
|
47066
|
60526
|
69879
|
59496
|
| Fribourg
|
Fribourg
|
1478 (free imperial city)
|
9065
|
10581
|
15794
|
20293
|
21557
|
29005
|
39695
|
35547
|
| Schaffhausen
|
Schaffhausen
|
1190 (free imperial city)
|
8477
|
11049
|
16320
|
19267
|
23141
|
27261
|
37035
|
34225
|
| Neuchâtel
|
Neuchâtel
|
1214 (free city)
|
7901
|
12934
|
21195
|
24171
|
22668
|
27998
|
38784
|
32914
|
| Chur
|
Grisons
|
0451 (Diocese of Chur)
|
6183
|
|
11532
|
14639
|
15574
|
19382
|
31193
|
32989
|
| Lugano
|
Ticino
|
1798 (capital of Cantone di Lugano)
|
5939
|
6836
|
10847
|
14988
|
17672
|
21448
|
27121
|
26560
|
| Biel/Bienne
|
Bern
|
1478 (Swiss Associated City)
|
5609
|
|
|
32136
|
37726
|
48342
|
64333
|
|
| Solothurn
|
Solothurn
|
1218 (free imperial city)
|
5370
|
7008
|
10025
|
11688
|
13734
|
16743
|
17708
|
15489
|
Big Towns and Small Cities
These settlements include one big industrial town (La Chaux-de-Fonds) and two small cities serving as cantonal capitals.
| Name
|
Canton
|
independent since
|
1750
|
1800
|
1850
|
1870
|
1900
|
1910
|
1930
|
1950
|
1970
|
2000
|
| La Chaux-de-Fonds
|
Neuchâtel
|
never (industrial city, mairie (=town) since 1656)
|
2363
|
4927
|
12638
|
|
35968
|
37751
|
35252
|
33300
|
42347
|
37016
|
| Sion
|
Valais
|
0580 (Diocese of Sion), 0999
|
|
2201
|
3307
|
5456
|
6751
|
7254
|
8657
|
11770
|
21925
|
27171
|
| Zug
|
Zug
|
1415 (free imperial city)
|
|
|
3302
|
4243
|
6508
|
8096
|
11113
|
14488
|
22972
|
22973
|
Towns serving as cantonal capitals
These towns are the most populous and politically important settlements within their canton. Despite their size, Herisau and Schwyz have never claimed to be a city. Sion claimed to be a free imperial city between 1339 and 1352.
| Name
|
Canton
|
capital since
|
1850
|
1870
|
1900
|
1910
|
1930
|
1950
|
1970
|
2000
|
| Herisau
|
Appenzell Ausserrhoden
|
1877
|
8147
|
9013
|
11457
|
12488
|
11263
|
10801
|
9674
|
7666
|
| Schwyz
|
Schwyz
|
|
5432
|
6137
|
7398
|
8000
|
8256
|
10259
|
12194
|
13802
|
| Aarau
|
Aargau
|
1798
|
4657
|
|
|
9593
|
11666
|
14280
|
16881
|
|
| Frauenfeld
|
Thurgau
|
1499 (canton since 1798)
|
3444
|
5122
|
7761
|
8459
|
8795
|
11114
|
17576
|
21954
|
| Sion
|
Valais
|
0580 (Diocese of Sion), 0999
|
3307
|
5456
|
6751
|
7254
|
8657
|
11770
|
21925
|
27171
|
| Liestal
|
Basel-Land
|
1832
|
3032
|
3863
|
5403
|
6072
|
6698
|
8449
|
12500
|
12930
|
| Delémont
|
Jura
|
1979 (capital of Jura)
|
1650
|
|
5053
|
6161
|
6393
|
7504
|
11797
|
11353
|