Irakleio, Attica

For other uses, see Heraklion (disambiguation).

Irakleio Ηράκλειο
Irakleio
Location within the region
Coordinates:
Country	Greece
Administrative region	Attica
Regional unit	North Athens
Government
• Mayor	Pantelis Vlassopoulos
Area
• Municipality	4.638 km2 (1.791 sq mi)
Elevation	150 m (490 ft)
Population (2011)
• Municipality	49,642
• Municipality density	11,000/km2 (28,000/sq mi)
Community
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Postal code	144 xx
Area code(s)	210
Vehicle registration	Z
Website	www.iraklio.gr

Irakleio (Greek: Ηράκλειο) is a suburb in the northeastern part of the Athens agglomeration, Greece, and a municipality of the Attica region. Its official webpage is http://iraklio.gr/ .

Geography

Irakleio is located about 8 km northeast of Athens city centre. Its built-up area is continuous with those of the neighbouring suburbs Nea Ionia, Metamorfosi, Lykovrysi and Pefki. Irakleio is subdivided into several quarters, including Palaio Irakleio, Neo Irakleio, Ano Irakleio and Prasinos Lofos. The main thoroughfare is Irakleiou Avenue, which connects it with central Athens. The northern beltway of Athens, Motorway 6, passes through Irakleio. Irakleio is served by a metro station (Irakleio station) and by a commuter railway station (Irakleio railway station).

History

Irakleio square

Irakleio was named after a sanctuary of Heracles that was located in the area in classical antiquity. Before the Greek War of Independence the village was known as Arakli. Irakleio was part of the city of Athens until 1925, when it became a separate community, elevated to municipality in 1948. The earthquake of September 7, 1999, affected the area but caused minor damages.

Historical population

Year	Population
1981	37,833
1991	42,905
2001	45,926
2011	49,642

See also

• List of municipalities of Attica