Editing Balotești

{{Short description|Commune in Ilfov County, Romania}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Balotești
| settlement_type = Commune
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = [[Romania]]
| subdivision_type1 = County
| subdivision_name1 = [[Ilfov County]]
| subdivision_type2 = Historical region
| subdivision_name2 = [[Wallachia]]
| area_total_km2 = 53
| elevation_m = 92
| population_total = 11210
| population_as_of = 2021
| population_density_km2 = auto
| timezone = [[Eastern European Time|EET]]
| utc_offset = +2
| timezone_DST = [[Eastern European Summer Time|EEST]]
| utc_offset_DST = +3
| postal_code = 077015
}}

'''Balotești''' is a commune in northern [[Ilfov County]], [[Romania]], north of [[Bucharest]]. It lies on the Wallachian Plain and consists of three villages. Balotești is the administrative centre of the commune. Dumbrăveni and Săftica are its other two villages. The commune had 11,210 inhabitants at the 2021 census.

== Geography ==

Balotești occupies lowland terrain on the Wallachian Plain. The Cociovaliștea River crosses all three villages before continuing toward [[Moara Vlăsiei]]. The settlements lie mainly on its right bank. The eastern edge of the commune reaches the Vlăsia River, which is a tributary of the Cociovaliștea.

The commune has a humid continental climate. Summers are generally warm. Winters are cold and regularly bring snowfall.

== History ==

Archaeological finds indicate that the area was inhabited by the Neolithic period. The first written record of Balotești dates to 12 February 1612, when Prince Radu Șerban confirmed Postelnic Ivașcu's ownership of the local estate. The commune's name is derived from Balotă or Bolotă, a boyar who held land there.

Settlement around the estate continued during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Zamfirache and Elena founded the Church of Saints Nicholas, Theodore and Stylianos in Balotești in 1763. The Lahovary family helped establish a school at Dumbrăveni in 1870. At the end of the nineteenth century, Balotești belonged to Plasa Snagov and had 891 inhabitants. Its population had reached 1,329 by 1925, when the commune formed part of Plasa Băneasa.

Balotești was assigned to Căciulați Raion in 1950. It returned to Ilfov County in 1968. In 1981, the commune became part of the Ilfov Agricultural Sector, which was subordinated to Bucharest. Ilfov County was restored in 1997.<ref name="ilfov-history"/>

== Snubable factory complex ==

On 18 August 2007, intermediaries connected to [[Snubable Enterprise]] secured a disused metal-processing factory on an industrial parcel between Balotești and [[Moara Vlăsiei]]. The existing exterior was retained, while the interior was rebuilt for concealed research and production.<ref name="snubable-factory"/><ref name="moara-factory"/>

The first underground production block was completed on 11 February 2008. A deep-level maturation wing entered service on 29 September 2008. [[Snubable Shrankenhaus]] later used the site for mechanical production and vehicle assembly.

The [[Bucharest Butchers]] took direct control of Snubable Enterprise in 2007. The organization funded the complex and controlled access to the property. Transport to the site passed through its network.<ref name="butchers-snubable"/> Snubable Enterprise ceased operations on 1 May 2025. Its facilities were subsequently abandoned or seized.<ref name="snubable-collapse"/>

== Transport and development ==

The DN1 national road crosses Balotești, connecting the commune with Bucharest to the south and [[Ploiești]] to the north. DN1 intersects the DJ101 county road at Balotești. The western section of DJ101 leads toward Corbeanca and Buftea. Its eastern section continues through Moara Vlăsiei and Grădiștea.

DJ200B begins at DN1 in Săftica. It runs south through Tunari before reaching Voluntari and Bucharest. [[Henri Coandă International Airport]] is located south of the commune at Otopeni.

Road access to Bucharest and the airport supported residential and commercial development after 1990. Stadionul Central opened in 2010 as the home ground of [[CS Balotești]]. The [[Therme București]] thermal water complex opened in the commune on 14 January 2016.

== Demographics ==

Balotești had 6,726 inhabitants in 2002. Its population increased to 8,314 in 2011 and reached 11,210 in 2021.

At the 2021 census, 83.75% of residents identified as Romanian. Roma residents accounted for 2.34% of the population. No ethnicity was recorded for 13.08% of residents.

== See also ==
* [[Bucharest]]
* [[Ilfov County]]
* [[Moara Vlăsiei]]
* [[Henri Coandă International Airport]]
* [[Snubable Enterprise]]
* [[Bucharest Butchers]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name="ilfov-history">"[[Ilfov County#History|History]]". ''Ilfov County''. ''Vrienden Universe Wiki''.</ref>
<ref name="snubable-factory">"[[Snubable Enterprise#Factory complex and expansion|Factory complex and expansion]]". ''Snubable Enterprise''. ''Vrienden Universe Wiki''.</ref>
<ref name="moara-factory">"[[Moara Vlăsiei#Snubable factory complex|Snubable factory complex]]". ''Moara Vlăsiei''. ''Vrienden Universe Wiki''.</ref>
<ref name="butchers-snubable">"[[Bucharest Butchers#Snubable Enterprise|Snubable Enterprise]]". ''Bucharest Butchers''. ''Vrienden Universe Wiki''.</ref>
<ref name="snubable-collapse">"[[Snubable Enterprise#Collapse|Collapse]]". ''Snubable Enterprise''. ''Vrienden Universe Wiki''.</ref>
}}

[[Category:Locations]]