Mérignac, Gironde

Mérignac (French pronunciation: [meʁiɲak]; Occitan: Merinhac) is a commune in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France.

Mérignac
Commune
Castle of Bourran
Coat of arms
Location of Mérignac
Mérignac Show map of France Mérignac Show map of Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Coordinates: 44°50′19″N 0°38′37″W
Country	France
Region	Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Department	Gironde
Arrondissement	Bordeaux
Canton	Mérignac-1 and 2
Intercommunality	Bordeaux Métropole
Government
• Mayor (2025–2026)	Thierry Trijoulet[1] (PS)
Area 1	48.17 km2 (18.60 sq mi)
Population  (2022)[2]	77,136
• Density	1,600/km2 (4,100/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	33281 /33700
Elevation	12–53 m (39–174 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

It is the largest suburb of the city of Bordeaux and adjoins it to the west. It is a member of the Bordeaux Métropole.

Mérignac is the site of Bordeaux International Airport.

Etymology

The name Mérignac derives from the Gallo-Roman word Matriniacus, name of a villa rustica (countryside villa) that was the origin of today's town.

History

The Hôtel de Ville

The town council acquired the Château Le Vivier in 1972 and subsequently converted the main building for use as the Hôtel de Ville (town hall).^[3]

Population

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1793 2,511 —     1800 2,427 −0.48% 1806 3,039 +3.82% 1821 2,764 −0.63% 1831 3,097 +1.14% 1836 3,034 −0.41% 1841 3,276 +1.55% 1846 3,264 −0.07% 1851 3,648 +2.25% 1856 3,910 +1.40% 1861 4,284 +1.84% 1866 4,450 +0.76% 1872 4,265 −0.71% 1876 4,967 +3.88% 1881 5,162 +0.77% 1886 5,735 +2.13% 1891 6,159 +1.44% 1896 6,713 +1.74%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1901 7,052 +0.99% 1906 7,421 +1.03% 1911 7,594 +0.46% 1921 9,515 +2.28% 1926 11,939 +4.64% 1931 15,363 +5.17% 1936 17,034 +2.09% 1946 21,417 +2.32% 1954 23,050 +0.92% 1962 32,355 +4.33% 1968 45,951 +6.02% 1975 50,652 +1.40% 1982 51,306 +0.18% 1990 57,273 +1.38% 1999 61,992 +0.88% 2007 66,002 +0.79% 2012 66,660 +0.20% 2017 70,105 +1.01%
Source: EHESS[4] and INSEE (1968-2017)[5]

Sights

• Tour de Veyrines : Veyrines Dungeon.
• Château Bourran : Bourran Castle
• Château Le Burck : Le Burck Castle
• Château or Maison Noble du Parc or d'Espagne : Parc Castle or Spain Castle
• Fontaine d'Arlac : Arlac Fountain
• Immeuble Gillet : Gillet Building
• La glacière : the icehouse
• La vieille église : the old Roman church
• Maison carrée d'Arlac : Peychotte's folly (Square House) in Arlac

Parks and gardens

• Parc de Bourran :
• Bois du Burck : Burck wood
• Parc de Mérignac :
• Parc Saint-Exupéry :
• Parc du Vivier : the wood around the city hall

Education

The commune has about 5,000 students in the primary and secondary schools in its city. Schools include:^[6]

• 15 public and private preschools^[7]
• 15 public and private elementary schools^[8]
• Four junior high schools: Collège de Bourran, Collège de Capeyron, Collège Jules-Ferry, Collège des Eyquems^[9]
• Two senior high schools: Lycée Fernand Daguin and Lycée professionnel Marcel Dassault^[10]

Twin towns – sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in France

Mérignac is twinned with:^[11]

• Saint-Laurent, Quebec, Canada
• Kaolack, Senegal
• Vilanova i la Geltrú, Spain

See also

• Aéroport de Bordeaux Mérignac
• Communes of the Gironde department

Notable inhabitants

• Albert Dupouy (1901 - 1973): player of rugby to death in Mérignac
• Jean Samazeuilh (1891 - 1965): French tennis player dead in Mérignac
• Nicolas Canteloup, born on November 4, 1963, in Mérignac in the Gironde, is a comedian, French imitator.
• Émile Rummelhardt former professional player and French football coach.
• Robert Étienne (1921–2009): French historian of ancient Rome, was born in Mérignac.