[3] French speakers are recorded later as using the names Evillard or es Villard ("in the town").

[citation needed] A number of monasteries and the Bishopric of Basel held land in this area during the Middle Ages.

[citation needed] However, judicially and militarily the town was subordinate to the city of Biel.

From 1798 to 1815, Evilard belonged to France and was part of the Canton de Bienne in the département of Mont-Terrible, which was joined with Haut-Rhin in 1800.

[3] Evilard lies 697 meters (2,287 ft) above sea level, and 1 kilometer (0.62 mi) north of the district capital city, Biel/Bienne, as the crow flies.

The town spans a southeast-facing clearing of the front of the Jura mountains, about 300 m (980 ft) over the city of Biel.

In clear weather, the view from Evilard of the Swiss plateau and the Alps from Mont Blanc to the region of Glärnisch and Alpstein is quite impressive.

It includes the town of Evilard, which is surrounded by Malvaux (German: Malewagwald, up to 765 m (2,510 ft) altitude).

Macolin (German: Magglingen), lies at 875 m (2,871 ft) on the southeast slope of Magglingerberg.

[6] The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Or a Bull's Head caboshed Sable.

[10] Most of the population (as of 2000[update]) speaks German (1,426 or 60.0%) as their first language, French is the second most common (811 or 34.1%) and Italian is the third (35 or 1.5%).

The historical population is given in the following chart:[3][13] In the 2011 federal election the most popular party was the SPS which received 21.6% of the vote.

Since about 1950, the town has built a large number of single-family homes for commuters working in Biel/Bienne.

Macolin has developed into a resort location starting in about 1875, thanks to its sunny high altitude.

In the tertiary sector; 25 or 16.1% were in wholesale or retail sales or the repair of motor vehicles, 20 or 12.9% were in the movement and storage of goods, 13 or 8.4% were in a hotel or restaurant, 2 or 1.3% were in the information industry, 17 or 11.0% were technical professionals or scientists, 27 or 17.4% were in education and 35 or 22.6% were in health care.

[10] From the 2000 census[update], 532 or 22.4% were Roman Catholic, while 1,219 or 51.3% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church.

This is followed by three years of obligatory lower Secondary school where the students are separated according to ability and aptitude.

Following the lower Secondary students may attend additional schooling or they may enter an apprenticeship.