The name Vitry comes from Medieval Latin Vitriacum, and before that Victoriacum, meaning "estate of Victorius", a Gallo-Roman landowner.

The city can be separated into three distinct parts: the center containing numerous cités HLM (Housing projects), peripheral neighborhoods belonging to the middle class, and a large industrial area along the Seine river.

The bordering towns are Ivry-sur-Seine, Villejuif, Chevilly-Larue, Thiais, Choisy-le-Roi, Alfortville.

2 An immigrant is a person born in a foreign country not having French citizenship at birth.

[7] Vitry is divided into two cantons (districts): As of 2016[update] the commune has 23 preschools (maternelles),[8] and 21 elementary schools,[9] with a combined total of 9,000 students.