Cherbourg-en-Cotentin (French pronunciation: [ʃɛʁbuʁ ɑ̃ kɔtɑ̃tɛ̃], lit. 'Cherbourg in Cotentin'; Norman: Tchidbouo) is a port city in the department of Manche, Normandy, northwestern France, established on 1 January 2016. The commune takes its name from Cherbourg, the main town of the commune, and from the Cotentin Peninsula. Cherbourg is an important commercial, ferry and military port on the English Channel.

Cherbourg-en-Cotentin is a maritime prefecture and a sub-prefecture of Manche. The merger makes it the most populous commune in the department, with 79,144 inhabitants as of 2018 (of which 35,545 in Cherbourg-Octeville) and the largest city of the department, ahead of the Saint-Lô prefecture, and the second-largest city in the region, after Caen. Its urban unit is composed of three communes (Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, Martinvast and Tollevast) and has 81,963 inhabitants (2018). Its larger functional area covers 77 communes and had 152,630 inhabitants as of 2018.

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (February 2022)

The onomastics of Cherbourg-en-Cotentin are, particularly for the first particle, heavily contested. Theories include descent from Latin, Gallo-Latin, Proto-Germanic, Anglo-Saxon and Old Norse. A medieval folk etymology from *Caesaris burgis ("Caesar's town", from Julius Caesar) is easily discounted.

The municipality was established on 1 January 2016 by a merger of the former communes of Cherbourg-Octeville, Équeurdreville-Hainneville, La Glacerie, Querqueville and Tourlaville. The seat of the commune is in Cherbourg. Cherbourg-Octeville had been established on 28 February 2000 by merger of the former communes of Cherbourg and Octeville.

Cherbourg-en-Cotentin is part of the arrondissement of Cherbourg, and of 6 cantons: Cherbourg-en-Cotentin-1, Cherbourg-en-Cotentin-2, Cherbourg-en-Cotentin-3, Cherbourg-en-Cotentin-4, Cherbourg-en-Cotentin-5 and La Hague.

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1968	79,121	—
1975	82,539	+0.61%
1982	85,485	+0.50%
1990	92,045	+0.93%
1999	88,588	−0.42%
2007	85,149	−0.49%
2012	81,103	−0.97%
2017	79,200	−0.47%
Populations of the area corresponding with the commune of Cherbourg-en-Cotentin at 1 January 2020. Source: INSEE

Population by age and gender, 1 January 2017
90+ 949 75–89 6806 60–74 13118 45–59 16534 30–44 13838 15–29 14874 0–14 13081	Total: 79200 male female
Source: INSEE

In 2017, in Cherbourg-en-Cotentin there were 43,118 dwellings of which 88.8% of primary residences, 3.5% second homes and 7.7% vacant houses. 50.5% were houses and 48.8% were apartments. Of the 37,983 principal residences built before 2015, the largest share (35.7%) was built between 1971 and 1990. 6.6% were built between 2006 and 2014, which is much lower than the departmental rate (11.1%).

The commune shares the social housing with the Communauté d'agglomération du Cotentin. Several HLM agencies are responsible for social housing of the agglomeration: Presqu'île Habitat, Les Cités Cherbourgeoises, HLM du Cotentin, Manche Habitat and HLM Coutances Granville.

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2016)

Public senior high schools/sixth-form colleges include:

• Lycée Jean-François-Millet (former Cherbourg-Octeville)
• Lycée Victor-Grignard (former Cherbourg-Octeville)
• Lycée Alexis-de-Tocqueville (former Cherbourg-Octeville)

Private senior high schools/sixth-form colleges include:

• Lycée privé Thomas-Hélye (former Cherbourg-Octeville)

Election		Candidate	Party	%
	2017	Emmanuel Macron	LREM	71.43
	2022			62.99

• The Abbey and Church of Notre-Dame-du-Vœu [fr]
• The Basilica of the Holy Trinity [fr]
• The Church of Saint-Clément

• Cherbourg Harbour
• Communes of the Manche department

• Cherbourg-en-Cotentin (in French)