Allschwil (German pronunciation: [ˈalʃvi:l]) is a village and a municipality in the district of Arlesheim in the canton of Basel-Country in Switzerland.

Archeological finds from the municipality include a few scattered Middle Paleolithic items, cups from the Glockenbecherkultur (c. 2400–1800 BC), a mid-Bronze Age hoard (presumably a metal depot) and a Hallstatt culture settlement at in den Vogelgärten.

It is possible that the Roman road station Arialbinum (mentioned in "Antonine Itinerary" and "Tabula Peutingeriana") may correspond to Allschwil.

The town of Allschwil was located along the Alsace-Solothurn via Passwang pass trading route along the border.

Its location on the border and trade route allowed Allschwil to grow into an important customs facility.

Allschwil was one of the seven so-called free villages (Vagantes extra civitate Basiliensem) and was therefore under the parish of St. John's Chapel at Basel's cathedral for baptism and high church festivals.

[3] In the wake of the German Peasants' War Allschwil, together with Reinach, Therwil, Oberwil and Ettingen, joined Basel in 1525 with a Burgrecht agreement.

Accusations of horse theft and Jewish plans to build a synagogue in Allschwil led to an expulsion decree in 1694 from the Bishop.

[3] The village Church of St. Peter and Paul was built in the 12th century and was under the patronage of the Basel cathedral.

Unlike most of the villages in the Birseck region, Allschwil reacted negatively to French rule, and even had a small rebellion in 1794.

The split between Basel-City and Basel-Country led to shift in religious power in Allschwil.

Between 1897 and 1921, the cabbage was processed in a sauerkraut factory, which was built by the village agricultural collective.

In the 1870s several brick factories opened in Allschwil, including Passavant-Iselin & Co. a company that had the first interlocking tile press in Switzerland.

The lack of railway connection (the 1926 proposed rail freight terminal was never realized) prevented a greater industrial development.

In addition, with the rise of Rhine shipping, Allschwil lost its importance as customs station.

This is reinforced by the restoration of the mid-19th-century half timbered houses, which were given an award in 1976 from the Council of Europe, and another in 1980 for their village center planning.

[4] The municipality is located in the Arlesheim district, on the edge of the Sundgauer Hill Country along the Upper Rhine valley.

The neighboring municipalities in Switzerland are, besides Basel, Schönenbuch, Oberwil, and Binningen, and the French communes of Neuwiller, Buschwiller, Hégenheim, and Saint-Louis.

The landscape is typical of the Rhine valley, where the Rhine turns from flowing west through hilly country where it forms the border between Switzerland and Germany to the wide plain where it flows north and forms the border between France and Germany.

The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Azure, a Sword Argent and a Key Or in saltire.

[7] The age distribution, as of 2010[update], in Allschwil is; 1,203 children or 6.3% of the population are between 0 and 6 years old and 2,134 teenagers or 11.1% are between 7 and 19.

[8] The historical population is given in the following chart:[3][13] The entire village of Allschwil is designated as part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites.

[15] Allschwil is home to numerous companies in the chemical, pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.

These include Actelion, Abbott, Spexis, MDL Information Systems and Idorsia Pharmaceuticals.

In the tertiary sector; 1,391 or 28.0% were in wholesale or retail sales or the repair of motor vehicles, 95 or 1.9% were in the movement and storage of goods, 217 or 4.4% were in a hotel or restaurant, 196 or 3.9% were in the information industry, 71 or 1.4% were the insurance or financial industry, 1,376 or 27.7% were technical professionals or scientists, 192 or 3.9% were in education and 632 or 12.7% were in health care.

[8] Allschwil is now largely a residential bedroom community for the city of Basel, with some light industry, notably in electronics, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and biotech.

It is a highly prized residential district because of its proximity to the city combined with a more rural atmosphere and open spaces.

[citation needed] From the 2000 census[update], 6,386 or 35.2% were Roman Catholic, while 5,945 or 32.8% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church.