and Fribourg, it is the fifth-largest city in the Romandie, the French-speaking part of the country, with a population as of CH-NE {{Swiss populations YM|lc=on}} of .

The city was founded in 1656. Its growth and prosperity are mainly bound up with watchmaking. It is the most important centre of the watch-making industry in the area known as the Watch Valley. Partially destroyed by a fire in 1794, La Chaux-de-Fonds was rebuilt following