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Oyonnax () is the second most populated commune in the Ain department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in eastern France.
Oyonnax lies in a valley of the Jura Mountains in the far north of Ain. It is near the Parc naturel régional du Haut-Jura. The city is on the river Ange.
Its prominence in the plastics industry has earned it the name Plastics Valley.
One of the outstanding achievements of the French Résistance occurred here on 11 November 1943, when the Maquis de l'Ain et du Haut-Jura defied the German occupiers to hold an 11 November parade and memorial service in honour of French soldiers from World War I.
The town was awarded the Médaille de la Résistance on 16 June 1947. Oyonnax décorée de la médaille de la Résistance, sur france-phaleristique.com
Near Oyonnax, at a place called Sous-Nierme, the litter of Léger d'Autun broke and wounded the head of his escort. Inhabitants of Oyonnax cared for him and repaired the vehicle. The delegation set out again with gifts made by the inhabitants of Oyonnax. In recognition, Léger d'Autun, become a bishop and counselor to queen Bathilde, gave the town the privilege of manufacturing wooden combs. Saint-Léger also became the patron saint feast of Oyonnax.
The first development began starting in the 17th century, thanks to its artisans: woodworking and carved horn. The second came with the industrial revolution in the 19th century: Oyonnax became an industrial town, with businesses that sold their goods all over Europe. The railway arrived in 1885.
Oyonnax station is located on the railway line between Montréal-la-Cluse and Andelot-en-Montagne, and is served by trains towards Bourg-en-Bresse.
The nearest airports are Geneva Airport, located to the east and Lyon–Saint-Exupéry Airport, located to the south west of the town.
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