Chandannagar, formerly spelled as Chandernagore (Bengali:চন্দননগর Chôndônnôgôr, French:Chandernagor), is a Corporation city and former French colony located about 35 kilometers (22 mi) north of Kolkata, in West Bengal, India. It is headquarter of a subdivision of same name in Hooghly District. It is one of the 7 municipal corporations in West Bengal. It is a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority. Located on the Hooghly River, the city has been able to maintain a unique identity different from all other cities and abide by her own characteristics. The total area is 19 square kilometers (7.3 sq mi), and had a population of 166,867 at the 2011 Census. Chandannagar is connected to Kolkata by railway, roadways and Hooghly river and it takes about an hour to reach there by car.