Jēkabpils () is a state city in

Jēkabpils Municipality Jēkabpils Municipality () is a municipality in Latvia. The municipality was formed in 2009 by Merger (politics), merging Ābeļi Parish, Dignāja Parish, Dunava Parish, Kalna Parish, Leimaņi Parish, Rubene Parish and Zasa Parish. During the Adm ...

in southeastern Latvia, located roughly halfway between the capital

Riga Riga ( ) is the capital, Primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Latvia, largest city of Latvia. Home to 591,882 inhabitants (as of 2025), the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga Planni ...

and

Daugavpils Daugavpils (see also other names) is a state city in southeastern Latvia, located on the banks of the Daugava River, from which the city derives its name. The parts of the city to the north of the river belong to the historical Latvian region ...

, and spanning the

Daugava River The Daugava ( ), also known as the Western Dvina or the Väina River, is a large river rising in the Valdai Hills of Russia that flows through Belarus and Latvia into the Gulf of Riga of the Baltic Sea. The Daugava rises close to the source of ...

. The name of the city literally translates into "Castle of Jacob". Historic Jēkabpils lies on the left bank, in

Selonia Selonia (; ), also known as Augšzeme (the "Highland"), is one of the Historical Latvian Lands encompassing the eastern part of the historical region of Semigallia () as well as a portion of northeastern Lithuania. Its main city and cultural ce ...

, while the historic Krustpils () lies on the right bank, in

Latgale Latgale (; ; ; ; ; ; Belarusian Latin alphabet, Belarusian Latin: ''Łathalija''; ), also known as Latgalia or Latgallia, is one of the Historical Latvian Lands. It is the easternmost region of the country and lies north of the Daugava River. Wh ...

. The two cities were united during the Soviet rule in 1962 under the Jēkabpils name, but retain their distinct regional character. Jēkabpils was also formerly home to the Soviet

Jēkabpils Air Base Jēkabpils , also known as Krustpils, is an air base located northeast of Jēkabpils, a town in Latvia. During the 1980s it was one of 17 airfields hosting the Soviet Union's tactical reconnaissance aircraft regiments.Cruczeborch () – was built in 1237 by the

bishop of Riga The Archbishopric of Riga (, ) was a Catholic diocese and civil government in Medieval Livonia, subject to the Holy See. It was established in 1186 and ended in 1561. History The diocese was established in 1186 as the Bishopric of Livonia ...

. Archeological excavations on the nearby Asote mound indicate that this place was a busy trading centre for the

Latgalians Latgalians (, , modern ; variant translations also include Latgallians, Lettigalls or Lettigallians) were an ancient Baltic tribe. They likely spoke a variant of Latvian language, which probably became the ''lingua franca'' in present-day Latvia ...

, one of the Latvian tribes, and had been inhabited since 1000 BC. An adjoining settlement already existed when

Krustpils Castle Krustpils Castle (, ) is a castle in Jēkabpils, in the Latgale region of Latvia. It is one of the best preserved medieval castles in Latvia. During the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878), Turkish prisoners of war were held here, many of whom later ...

was first built; it grew up around the castle as the village of Krustpils. The village was often destroyed during local wars, such as Polish-Swedish battles, but was always rebuilt afterward. During the 17th century, persecuted

Old Believers Old Believers or Old Ritualists ( Russian: староверы, ''starovery'' or старообрядцы, ''staroobryadtsy'') is the common term for several religious groups, which maintain the old liturgical and ritual practices of the Russian ...

from

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

settled along the Daugava river. In 1670 this settlement, gradually growing around the Sala Inn, became known as Jēkabpils ( in German) in honor of the Duke of

Courland Courland is one of the Historical Latvian Lands in western Latvia. Courland's largest city is Liepāja, which is the third largest city in Latvia. The regions of Semigallia and Selonia are sometimes considered as part of Courland as they were ...

Jacob Kettler Jacob Kettler (; ; 28 October 1610 – 1 January 1682) was Duke of Courland and Semigallia from 1642 to 1682. Under his rule, Courland and Semigallia became more independent of its Polish suzerain, reached its peak in wealth, and even engage ...

, who granted

Magdeburg rights Magdeburg rights (, , ; also called Magdeburg Law) were a set of town privileges first developed by Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor (936–973) and based on the Flemish Law, which regulated the degree of internal autonomy within cities and villages gr ...

to the town. A local legend about the town's origin states that the duke was hunting one day but became lost. At the Daugava River, he simultaneously spotted a lynx underneath a fir tree as well as a town at the same time. This image of the lynx underneath a fir tree is the town's

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...

. In the period of the Duchy of Courland the residents of the town were mostly Russian Old believers,

Poles Pole or poles may refer to: People *Poles (people), another term for Polish people, from the country of Poland * Pole (surname), including a list of people with the name * Pole (musician) (Stefan Betke, born 1967), German electronic music artist ...

and

Lithuanians Lithuanians () are a Balts, Baltic ethnic group. They are native to Lithuania, where they number around 2,378,118 people. Another two million make up the Lithuanian diaspora, largely found in countries such as the Lithuanian Americans, United Sta ...

. Duke Jacob built a small port in the town to transport goods from a nearby iron foundry. At the end of the 17th century, there were an anchor mint, a gun

foundry A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal into a mold, and removing the mold material after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals pr ...

, lime and tar kilns and several other factories in Jakobstadt. In 1704, during the

Great Northern War In the Great Northern War (1700–1721) a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in Northern Europe, Northern, Central Europe, Central and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the ant ...

, the Russians occupied the town. However, after few months a major battle (

Battle of Jēkabpils The Battle of Jakobstadt (, , , ) was fought in the Great Northern War. It took place on 25 July 1704 ( O.S.) / 26 July 1704 (Swedish calendar) / 5 August 1704 ( N.S.) between a Swedish army under Adam Ludwig Lewenhaupt and a combined Polish/R ...

), took place near the town. A Swedish army under Adam Lewenhaupt defeated a much larger Russian force and thus stopped

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

from further invasion in the Duchy. After the war and an epidemic of plague, the town again prospered. Barges from

Belarus Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...

imported grain, honey, tobacco, spirits, textiles etc. At the same time, land transport from Friedrichstadt amounted to approx. 9,000 cart loads a year during the second half of the 18th century. Jakobstadt was also part of the postal road from

Jelgava Jelgava () is a state city in central Latvia. It is located about southwest of Riga. It is the largest town in the Semigallia region of Latvia. Jelgava was the capital of the united Duchy of Courland and Semigallia (1578–1795) and was the ad ...

to Friedrichstadt and further to

Ilūkste Ilūkste (; ; ) is a town in Augšdaugava Municipality in the Selonia region of Latvia. The population in 2020 was 2,216. History The territory of modern Ilūkste was inhabited by the Selonians, an ancient Baltic peoples, Baltic tribe. As a set ...

In 1764 the first ferry crossing to Krustpils was opened in the town. During the reign of Peter von Biron a small community of German-speaking craftsmen developed in the town besides Russians and Poles.

Jews Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

, however, were prohibited from entering the town. In 1795 Jakobstadt, like the whole Duchy of Courland and Semigallia, was incorporated into the Russian Empire. In 1826

Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve (, trans. ''Vasily Yakovlevich Struve''; 15 April 1793 – ) was a Baltic German astronomer and geodesist. He is best known for studying double stars and initiating a triangulation survey later named Struve ...

made his geodesic measurements near the town.
In 1834 the first hospital was opened in the town. During this period a theater and library were also opened, and the first streets were cobbled.
In 1861 with the opening of the Riga–Daugavpils railway through Krustpils the role of the Daugava and barges as a main means of transport decreased. However, the river was still used for

timber rafting Timber rafting is a method of transporting felled tree trunks by tying them together to make rafts, which are then drifted or pulled downriver, or across a lake or other body of water. It is arguably, after log driving, the second cheapest mea ...

. At the turn of the 20th century there were a bank, an insurance company, a match factory, a steam mill, a

brewery A brewery or brewing company is a business that makes and sells beer. The place at which beer is commercially made is either called a brewery or a beerhouse, where distinct sets of brewing equipment are called plant. The commercial brewing of b ...

typography Typography is the art and technique of Typesetting, arranging type to make written language legibility, legible, readability, readable and beauty, appealing when displayed. The arrangement of type involves selecting typefaces, Point (typogra ...

and several other enterprises. During the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

heavy battles were fought around the town and some 280 buildings in the town were destroyed or damaged. In 1919 Jēkabpils became the administrative centre of the newly established Jaunjelgava district. In 1932 a

sugar refinery A sugar refinery is a refinery which processes raw sugar from cane or sugar extracted from beets into white refined sugar. Cane sugar mills traditionally produce raw sugar, which is sugar that still contains molasses, giving it color ...

was built in the town. In 1936 a bridge was built over the Daugava. In this way Jēkabpils and Krustpils were united for the first time. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

the bridge was blown up. A new bridge was constructed only in 1962. Jēkabpils and Krustpils were merged in 1962 under the name Jēkabpils. During the

Soviet period The history of the Soviet Union (USSR) (1922–91) began with the ideals of the Russian Bolshevik Revolution and ended in dissolution amidst economic collapse and political disintegration. Established in 1922 following the Russian Civil War, ...

the united city was home to several big factories. Among them were the sewing enterprise ''Asote'', the dolomite splinter mine ''Dolomīts'', a

reinforced concrete Reinforced concrete, also called ferroconcrete or ferro-concrete, is a composite material in which concrete's relatively low tensile strength and ductility are compensated for by the inclusion of reinforcement having higher tensile strength or ...

construction factory, a dairy processing plant and several other enterprises. After the restoration of Latvian independence in 1991 many factories went bankrupt or production was drastically reduced. From 2009 to 2021, the city, while being a separate first-level municipality (republican city, ''republikas pilsēta''), was also the extraterritorial center of

. Since 2021, it retains state city status, but does not have a separate first-level local government.

Geography

The population of Jēkabpils town is 29,100. The two historical parts of Jēkabpils — Krustpils and historic Jēkabpils — are connected by the bridge across the

Climate

Jēkabpils has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

''Dfb'').

Demographics

As of 1 January 2017, the city had a population of 23,750.

Sights

Jēkabpils

In the older parts of the city, some buildings have been preserved. The castle of Krustpils houses the History Museum of Jēkabpils and Krustpils.

Jēkabpils district

One of the

Struve Geodetic Arc The Struve Geodetic Arc is a chain of survey triangulations stretching from Hammerfest in Norway to the Black Sea, through ten countries and over , which yielded the first accurate measurement of a meridian arc. The chain was established ...

original station points is located in ''Strūves park''. In Tadenava, not far from Jēkabpils itself, there is a memorial museum to the great Latvian poet

Rainis Jānis Pliekšāns (11 September 1865 – 11 September 1929), known by his pseudonym Rainis, was a Latvian Poetry, poet, playwright, Translation, translator, and politics, politician. Rainis' works include the classic plays ''Uguns un nakts'' ('' ...

. Nearby are also the castle of Justine and Dignāja. The highest point of

— ''Ormaņkalns'' is in the vicinity of Klauce. Between Nereta and Aknīste there is a museum "Riekstiņi" commemorating the famous Latvian writer Jānis Jaunsudrabiņš.

Notable people

* Uga Skulme (1895-1963), painter * Elita Kļaviņa (born 1966), actress * Juris Umbraško (born 1978), basketball coach * Arvis Viguls (born 1987), poet, translator * Deniss Rakels (born 1992), footballer * Reinis Nitišs (born 1995), World Rallycross driver * Sandis Ģirģens (born 1980), latvian politician. * Andrejs Piedels (born 1970), latvian footballer. * Andris Džeriņš (born 1988), latvian ice hockey player.

Twin towns – sister cities

Jēkabpils is twinned with: *

Czerwionka-Leszczyny Czerwionka-Leszczyny () is a town in Silesian Voivodeship in southern Poland. It is the only town in Rybnik County, Rybnik county (which is separate from Rybnik city) and the seat of the larger Gmina Czerwionka-Leszczyny, Czerwionka-Leszczyny muni ...

, Poland *

Lida Lida is a city in Grodno Region, western Belarus, located west of Minsk. It serves as the administrative center of Lida District. As of 2025, it has a population of 103,262. Etymology The name ''Lida'' arises from its Lithuanian name ''Ly ...

, Belarus *

Maardu Maardu (, ) is a Populated places in Estonia, town and a Municipalities of Estonia, municipality in Harju County, Estonia. It is part of Tallinn metropolitan area, located about east of the capital city. The town covers an area of 22.76 ...

, Estonia * Melle, Germany *

Myrhorod Myrhorod (, ) is a city in Poltava Oblast, central Ukraine. It serves as the Capital city, administrative center of Myrhorod Raion. Myrhorod also hosts the administration of Myrhorod urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. It is locate ...

, Ukraine * Qaraçuxur, Azerbaijan *

Rokiškis Rokiškis () is a list of cities in Lithuania, city in northeastern Lithuania, close to the Latvia–Lithuania border, with a population of 11,606 (2023). The city is a capital of the Rokiškis District Municipality with a population of 28,715 (20 ...

, Lithuania *

Sokołów Podlaski Sokołów Podlaski is a town in Poland, in Masovian Voivodeship, about east of Warsaw. The town lies on the Cetynia river, in the historical region of Podlachia and is the capital of Sokołów County. The first settlement was in the 6th century a ...

, Poland

Gallery

Jekabpils city council.JPG, Jēkabpils city council Small ortodox church in Jekabpils - panoramio.jpg, Old believers church in Jēkabpils Jēkabpils Sv. Gara klosteris, Jēkabpils, zvanu tornis.jpg, Bell tower of the orthodox Holy Spirit Monastery. Oldtown square Jekabpils.JPG, Jēkabpils central square Krustpils train station.(1)..JPG, Krustpils railway station in Jēkabpils Jēkabpils dam.jpg, Pļaviņu iela (street) and Daugava River levee Dzīvojamā māja, Rīgas ielā 204, Jēkabpils.jpg, Typical 19th century red brick building in the centre of former Krustpils. Sv. Gara pareizticīgo klostera apbūve (2).jpg, Areal view of the historic centre of Jēkabpils and orthodox Holy Spirit monastery. Лютеранская церковь (2).jpg, St. Michail lutheran church in Jēkabpils. Catholic church Jekabpils.JPG, Roman Catholic church in Jēkabpils.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jekabplis State cities of Latvia Cities and towns in Selonia Cities and towns in Latgale Jēkabpils Municipality