**Castres** (Occitan: *Castras*) is a commune in the region of Midi-Pyrénées, in southwestern France. It is the *sous-prefecture* (capital) of the *arrondissement* of the same name in the Tarn department.

Castres is (after Toulouse, Tarbes and Albi) the fourth largest industrial centre of the mainly rural Midi-Pyrénées *région* and the largest in that part of Languedoc between Toulouse and Montpellier.

History
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The name of the town comes from Latin *castrum*, and means "fortified place".

Castres grew up round the Benedictine abbey of Saint Benoît. Castres became an important stop on the international pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela in Spain because its abbey-church, built in the 9th century, was keeping the relics of Saint Vincent, the renowned martyr of Spain. It was a place of some importance as early as the 12th century, and ranked as the second town of the Albigeois behind Albi.

Geography
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Castres is in southern France, in the southwestern part of the Tarn department, to the north of the Montagne Noire, a mountain range in central southern France. Castres is crossed from north to south by the Agout river, a tributary of the Tarn.

The *commune* has an area of 98.17 km2 (37.90 sq mi) and its average altitude is 259 m (850 ft); at the city hall, the altitude is 173 m (568 ft).

Castres is at 42 km (26 mi) southeast of Albi and at 72 km (45 mi) east of Toulouse.


Castres and its neighboring *communes*| Map of the commune of Castres |

### Climate

The climate of Castres, in the Köppen climate classification, is **Cfb** - Oceanic climate with template summers.

Population
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The inhabitants of Castres are known, in French, as *Castrais* (women: *Castraises*).

The city of Castres has a population, in 2014, of 41,382; its population density is of 422 inhabitants/km2.

**Evolution of the population in Castres**

Administration
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Castres is a subprefecture of the Tarn department and the capital of the arrondissement of Castres in the same department. It is also the capital of three *Cantons*:

1. Castres-1, formed with a part of Castres (16,890 inhabitants) (2014)
2. Castres-2, formed with a part of Castres and 6 other *communes* (15,422 inhabitants) (2014)
3. Castres-3, formed with a part of Castres and the *commune* Navès (15,319 inhabitants) (2014)

It is part of the intercommunality *Castres - Mazamet* (French: *Communauté d'agglomération de Castres - Mazamet*).

Education
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* Institut national universitaire Jean-François Champollion

Sister cities
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Castres is twinned with:

* Spain Linares, Spain
* United Kingdom Wakefield, England
* Rwanda Butare, Rwanda

Gallery
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* Castres Town HallCastres Town Hall
* Castres and the Agout riverCastres and the Agout river
* Jean Jaurès square, CastreJean Jaurès square, Castre
* Municipal theatre, CastreMunicipal theatre, Castre

Related pages
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* Arrondissement of Castres
* Communes of the Tarn department

Other websites
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to ***Castres***.

* City Council website Archived 2010-11-29 at the Wayback Machine (in French)
* Greater Castres-Mazamet Council official website (in French)

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