Location Ambérieu-en-Bugey is 50 km northeast of
Lyon, 30 km south of
Bourg-en-Bresse, 73 km northwest of
Aix-les-Bains, 76 km southeast of
Mâcon and 104 km west of
Geneva, Switzerland. The town is in the commune's western part, on the right bank of the river
Albarine, which forms most of the commune's southern border. It is surrounded by the communes of
Saint-Denis-en-Bugey, and
Bettant. Its expansion is due to demographic expansion with two new housing areas on the eastern side of the town where there is plenty of land (near Bettant). Ambérieu-en-Bugey is located at the foot of the western foothills of the
Jura mountains of
Bugey and opens onto the plain of
Ain at the mouth of the
gorge of
Albarine.
Climate Ambérieu features an "
oceanic climate" (Cfb) under the
Köppen system. However, the city contains significant seasonal differences between the warm to hot summers and the cool to cold winters. Both temperatures above for the summer months and winter
air frosts are common. Its record low of decisively indicates its continental influence, as well as its record high of .
Weather Data for Ambérieu-en-Bugey }}
Topography and geology The commune is at an altitude between 237 m and 753 m. The sub-soil has been an important economic activity in the Ambérieu region in the 19th century until the first half of the 20th century. For example, the extraction of
lignite (used in particular for heating) was an important activity in Ambérieu during the
First World War. Ambérieu-en-Bugey reflects the characteristics of
Bugey in geological terms: the region is composed of a folded mountain relief, partly
karstified, which is the southern extension of the
Jura mountains. The dating of the
limestone of Bugey is between the
Jurassic (for the
anticlines) and the
Cretaceous (for the
synclines). The folds are easily visible in outcrops and cliffs.
Hydrography There are several rivers in Ambérieu-en-Bugey. Besides the
Albarine which flows through Ambérieu-en-Bugey, two streams which are themselves tributaries of the Albarine flow into the commune: the Seymard (15.5 km long and the Foulon (3.4 km long).
Channels of communication and transport Rail and
Ars-sur-Formans. Here can be seen the station. .
Ambérieu station is located at the junction of the Mâcon-Ambérieu line and the
Lyon-Geneva line and is served by many
TER trains to
Lyon,
Bourg-en-Bresse,
Mâcon,
Dijon,
Besançon,
Strasbourg,
Culoz,
Geneva,
Aix-les-Bains, and
Chambery.
Railway history The railway has served the commune since 1856, making the town an important railway junction and the railway station, "one of the largest connection centres in France". On 7 June 1944 an operation was organized by resistance railway workers and
maquisards to disable 52 locomotives and much other equipment. This action reduced the capacity of this strategic site and reduced the communications of the German army so avoiding bombing by the Allies on the site. A monument near the Ambérieu-en-Bugey station recalls this feat of arms.
Air transport in Ambérieu-en-Bugey Aerial activity has been present in Ambérieu-en-Bugey since the beginning of the 20th century. For example,
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry made his first flight in July 1912 at the civil aerodrome of Bellievre.
Ambérieu-en-Bugey Air Base was built during the
Second World War as a temporary airfield by the
United States Air Force XII Engineer Command in August 1944. Named the "Colonel Chambonnet Base", today it is a supply and repair centre for electronic equipment aboard aircraft, ground communications detection equipment, navigation aids, and a manufacturing centre for simple equipment. There is also a civilian aerodrome near Ambérieu-en-Bugey called the Ambérieu aerodrome but it is located in the neighbouring communes of
Château-Gaillard and
Ambronay.
Air history Many flight schools have been located at Ambérieu-en-Bugey: the Bressane Aviation School, founded in 1909 by Mignot and Harding, which was associated with the
Société Aérienne de Lyon-Bron. In 1912 it took the name
Deperdussin-SPAD and was directed by the pilot René Vidart. There is also the Louis-Mouthier flight school which was opened in 1911. In 1915 the Military flight school of Ambérieu was established. Finally, in 1928, the
Caudron flight school moved from
Le Crotoy in the
Somme to Ambérieu-en-Bugey. This school trained
Jean Mermoz and
René Fonck.
Road transport The commune is traversed by the
A42 autoroute. The exit for the commune is: No. 8 Ambérieu-en-Bugey in the direction of Geneva. In addition, several departmental roads serve the commune: the D1075 (formerly National Highway 75) which connects
Bourg-en-Bresse to
Sisteron, the D1504 (the old national road 504) which connects Ambérieu-en-Bugey to the commune of
Le Bourget-du-Lac, and the D904 (the old road known as the "Valley of the Saone"). In 2017 there were 6,403 households in Ambérieu-en-Bugey; 84.8% of households owned at least one car and 31.8% of all households had at least two cars.
Buses Since 4 January 2010, a network of three bus lines has been established to replace the ''Ambar'bus'' service. The new network is called TAM (Transport Network Ambarrois) and links its timetables to the schedules of
TER Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. The network operates from 5:40 a.m. to 8:46 p.m. and carries 208 passengers per day.
Housing In 2017 the total number of dwellings in the municipality was 7,217 (against 5,949 in 2007). Among these units, 88.7% were primary residences, second homes 1.7%, and 9.6% were vacant housing. The second element
-acus represents a suffix of Gallic origin
*-āko(n) which is usually written as
acum in
Latin. This is a locative suffix which later will designate
villae in Gallo-Roman. It has generally evolved phonetically as
-ieu in the region. The first element designates the
Gauls ( Celtic people ) of
Ambarri whose name meant "living on both (*
amb) sides of the Saone (
Arar, the
Saône)" or was a Gallic
anthroponym Ambarrius.
Ambérieux-en-Dombes,
Ambérieux,
Ambérac, and
Ambeyrac are similar topographical formations. ==History==