Discover Otopeni · · 3 min read
Moving to Otopeni? Schools, sport, healthcare and transport
What you actually find in town: the secondary school and the kindergartens, the swimming complex, the cultural centre, the Ana Aslan institute and the links to Bucharest.
When a family moves out of Bucharest, the first questions are not about price. They are about school, about how long it takes to get to work, and about what you do on a Sunday. Here is what actually exists in Otopeni, with official figures from the town hall.
Schools and kindergartens
State education is concentrated in the “Ioan Petruș” Theoretical High School — with nearly 2,930 pupils — and in 5 kindergartens, with more than 630 children. There is school transport for children from Odăi and Otopenii de Jos. Catchment areas and available places are checked with the school each year, before enrolment.
Sport: the swimming pool that brings people into town
Otopeni has a Swimming Complex with 6 pools and almost 3,500 seats — a facility you will not find in many large cities, let alone in a town of twenty thousand people. There is also a sports ground with a football stadium (around 1,500 seats) and a sports hall of roughly 300 seats.
Culture and healthcare
- The “Ion Manu” Cultural Centre — arts clubs and the annual festival of folk art and tradition.
- The “Ana Aslan” National Institute of Gerontology and Geriatrics — an institution with an international reputation, within the town.
- Medical practices and pharmacies in town; for large hospitals, the reference remains Bucharest, a few minutes away on DN1 or on the ring road.
Transport: how you get to Bucharest
The town is crossed by DN1, between kilometres 12.8 and 17.9, and is bounded to the south by the Bucharest ring road. On public transport there are several bus routes linking the town to the capital, stopping among other places near the high school and near the town hall. The Bucharest–Urziceni railway runs to the north.
At the moment, traffic on DN1 is affected by the works on metro line M6, which will connect Bucharest to the airport. It is a temporary inconvenience with a great deal at stake for the town.
How many people live here
On 1 January 2024 the town had 21,865 inhabitants, at a density of 694 people per square kilometre. The growth of the past decade is set out in the article “Otopeni in numbers”.
Frequently asked questions
How many schools and kindergartens are there in Otopeni?
State education is organised in the “Ioan Petruș” Theoretical High School, with nearly 2,930 pupils, and 5 kindergartens, with more than 630 children. There is school transport for children from Odăi and Otopenii de Jos.
How do I get from Otopeni to Bucharest?
By car on DN1 or the ring road, and on public transport via the bus routes linking the town to the capital. From 2028–2029 metro line M6 to the airport is also planned.
What sports facilities are there?
A swimming complex with 6 pools and almost 3,500 seats, a sports ground with a football stadium of around 1,500 seats, and a sports hall of roughly 300 seats.
Is it worth moving from Bucharest to Otopeni?
It depends what you are looking for: a garden, some quiet and quick access to the north of the capital — yes. If you work in the south of Bucharest and do not have a car, work out the real commuting time first, at your own hours.
Thinking of moving here? Tell me what you are looking for and I will put forward only properties that fit, not everything on the market.
Sources
- Otopeni Town Hall — general information (area, population at 01.01.2024, facilities, education units, swimming complex): otopeniro.ro
- “Ioan Petruș” Theoretical High School, Otopeni — liceulotopeni.ro
