Colombelles (French pronunciation: [kɔlɔ̃bɛl] ) is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France.

It is located on the Canal de Caen à la Mer.

The population of this sleepy little village mushroomed after August Thyssen bought some land in 1909 and established a steel mill there.

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1901 153 —     1906 169 +2.01% 1911 188 +2.15% 1921 2,039 +26.92% 1926 2,556 +4.62% 1931 3,308 +5.29% 1936 3,455 +0.87% 1946 2,021 −5.22% 1954 3,526 +7.20%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1962 5,122 +4.78% 1968 5,668 +1.70% 1975 5,566 −0.26% 1982 5,306 −0.68% 1990 5,695 +0.89% 1999 6,242 +1.02% 2007 5,771 −0.98% 2012 5,764 −0.02% 2017 6,918 +3.72%
Source: EHESS and INSEE (1968-2017)

Colombelles is twinned with Fremington, Devon (UK) since 1983 and with Steinheim am Albuch (Baden-Württemberg, Germany) since 1986 (see that article in German).

• Société Métallurgique de Normandie
• Communes of the Calvados department