Gray (Haute-Saône)

Gray is a commune located in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in the Haute-Saône department in eastern France. About 6,000 people live there.

Gray
Commune
Coat of arms
Location of Gray
Gray Show map of France Gray Show map of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté
Coordinates: 47°26′42″N 5°35′32″E
Country	France
Region	Bourgogne-Franche-Comté
Department	Haute-Saône
Arrondissement	Vesoul
Canton	Gray
Area 1	20.26 km2 (7.82 sq mi)
Population  (Jan. 2019)[1]	5,553
• Density	270/km2 (710/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	70279 /70100
Elevation	187–249 m (614–817 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

History

It was, since the Middle Ages, an important river port, an important trading center in Franche-Comté.

Gray is believed to have got its name from an old landed estate in its area owned by a family with Gallo-Roman origins having the name "Gradus", cognate with the Celtic "Grady" meaning "illustrious" or "noble".

Geography

Gray is situated on the banks of the river Saône. It is the last major town in Haute-Saône before the Saône flows into Côte-d'Or.