town, southwestern suburb of Roubaix, Nord département, Nord-Pas-de-Calais région, northern France, on the Roubaix Canal and Marque River. The lordship and village of Croix existed before the 12th century and was mentioned in early archives. The Château de la Fontaine (17th century) was a fief of the lordship, which became a countship in 1617. Croix remained a small village until after 1870, when the textile (wool combing) industry was introduced. Other industries have since been established, and the town is a centre for mail-order sales operations. Pop. (1999) 20,638; (2005 est.) 21,000.