IR IRAN
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
has one of the highest urban population growth rates in the world. From 1950 to 2002, the urban proportion of the population increased from 27% to 60%.
The United Nations predicts that by 2030 80% of the population will live in urban areas.
["Islamic Azad University"](_blank)
retrieved 28 Jan 2008 Most internal migrants have settled near the cities of
Tehran
Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...
,
Isfahan
Isfahan ( fa, اصفهان, Esfahân ), from its Achaemenid empire, ancient designation ''Aspadana'' and, later, ''Spahan'' in Sassanian Empire, middle Persian, rendered in English as ''Ispahan'', is a major city in the Greater Isfahan Regio ...
,
Karaj
Karaj ( fa, کرج, ) is the capital of Alborz Province, Iran, and effectively a satellite city of Tehran. Although the county hosts a population around 1.97 million, as recorded in the 2016 census, most of the county is rugged mountain. The urb ...
Ahvaz
Ahvaz ( fa, اهواز, Ahvâz ) is a city in the southwest of Iran and the capital of Khuzestan province. Ahvaz's population is about 1,300,000 and its built-up area with the nearby town of Sheybani is home to 1,136,989 inhabitants. It is hom ...
,
Mashhad
Mashhad ( fa, مشهد, Mašhad ), also spelled Mashad, is the List of Iranian cities by population, second-most-populous city in Iran, located in the relatively remote north-east of the country about from Tehran. It serves as the capital of R ...
and
Qom. Tehran, with a population of 8.7 million (2016 census), is the largest city in Iran and is the nation's capital. Tehran is home to around 11% of Iran's population. It is the hub of the country's
communication
Communication (from la, communicare, meaning "to share" or "to be in relation with") is usually defined as the transmission of information. The term may also refer to the message communicated through such transmissions or the field of inquir ...
and
transport
Transport (in British English), or transportation (in American English), is the intentional movement of humans, animals, and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, land (rail and road), water, cable, pipeline, an ...
networks.
Mashhad
Mashhad ( fa, مشهد, Mašhad ), also spelled Mashad, is the List of Iranian cities by population, second-most-populous city in Iran, located in the relatively remote north-east of the country about from Tehran. It serves as the capital of R ...
, with a population of 4.2 million (as of 2019), is the second-largest Iranian city and the centre of the province of
Razavi Khorasan. Mashhad is one of the holiest
Shi'a
Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam. It holds that the Prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad designated Ali, ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his S ...
cities in the world as it is the site of the
Imam Reza shrine. It is the centre of tourism in Iran and between 15 and 20 million pilgrims go to
Imam Reza's shrine every year.
The third most populous city of Iran is
Isfahan
Isfahan ( fa, اصفهان, Esfahân ), from its Achaemenid empire, ancient designation ''Aspadana'' and, later, ''Spahan'' in Sassanian Empire, middle Persian, rendered in English as ''Ispahan'', is a major city in the Greater Isfahan Regio ...
with a population 2.5 million (as of 2019). This city is one of the most industrial cities of Iran with large industries and hosts several UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The city has a wide variety of historic monuments and is known for its paintings, history and architecture.
The fourth most populous Iranian city is
Karaj
Karaj ( fa, کرج, ) is the capital of Alborz Province, Iran, and effectively a satellite city of Tehran. Although the county hosts a population around 1.97 million, as recorded in the 2016 census, most of the county is rugged mountain. The urb ...
, with a population of 2.1 million (as of 2019). Karaj is the capital of
Alborz Province
Alborz Province ( fa, استان البرز, ''Ostān-e Alborz'') is one of the 31 provinces of Iran.[Alborz
The Alborz ( fa, البرز) range, also spelled as Alburz, Elburz or Elborz, is a mountain range in northern Iran that stretches from the border of Azerbaijan along the western and entire southern coast of the Caspian Sea and finally runs nort ...]
mountains; however, the city is increasingly becoming an extension of metropolitan Tehran.
The fifth most populous Iranian city is
Shiraz
Shiraz (; fa, شیراز, Širâz ) is the List of largest cities of Iran, fifth-most-populous city of Iran and the capital of Fars province, Fars Province, which has been historically known as Pars (Sasanian province), Pars () and Persis. As o ...
(population 1.57 million), which is located in the southwest of Iran with a moderate climate and has been a regional trade center for over a thousand years. Shiraz is one of the oldest cities of ancient Persia, known as the city of poets, literature, flowers . It is also considered by many Iranians to be the city of gardens, and also a major center for Iran's electronic industries.
The other major cities are
Tabriz
Tabriz ( fa, تبریز ; ) is a city in northwestern Iran, serving as the capital of East Azerbaijan Province. It is the List of largest cities of Iran, sixth-most-populous city in Iran. In the Quri Chay, Quru River valley in Iran's historic Aze ...
(population 1.56 million),
Qom (population 1.2 million), and
Ahvaz
Ahvaz ( fa, اهواز, Ahvâz ) is a city in the southwest of Iran and the capital of Khuzestan province. Ahvaz's population is about 1,300,000 and its built-up area with the nearby town of Sheybani is home to 1,136,989 inhabitants. It is hom ...
(population 1.18 million).
Cities over 100,000 population
The following sorted table, lists the most populous cities in Iran with a population of more than 100,000 according to 2016 Census results announced by
Statistical Center of Iran.
A city is displayed in bold if it is the province capital.
Largest cities in the provinces
This is a list of the largest cities of the 31 provinces, based on the city's population as of the 2016 census.
Gallery
File:Tehran from Qeytariyeh.jpg, 1. Tehran
Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...
, Tehran Province
File:Mashhad towers view.jpg, 2. Mashhad
Mashhad ( fa, مشهد, Mašhad ), also spelled Mashad, is the List of Iranian cities by population, second-most-populous city in Iran, located in the relatively remote north-east of the country about from Tehran. It serves as the capital of R ...
, Khorasan Razavi Province
File:Isfahan towers.jpg, 3. Isfahan
Isfahan ( fa, اصفهان, Esfahân ), from its Achaemenid empire, ancient designation ''Aspadana'' and, later, ''Spahan'' in Sassanian Empire, middle Persian, rendered in English as ''Ispahan'', is a major city in the Greater Isfahan Regio ...
, Isfahan Province
File:Karaj Taleghani.jpg, 4. Karaj
Karaj ( fa, کرج, ) is the capital of Alborz Province, Iran, and effectively a satellite city of Tehran. Although the county hosts a population around 1.97 million, as recorded in the 2016 census, most of the county is rugged mountain. The urb ...
, Alborz Province
File:Chamran from tasnim.jpg, 5. Shiraz
Shiraz (; fa, شیراز, Širâz ) is the List of largest cities of Iran, fifth-most-populous city of Iran and the capital of Fars province, Fars Province, which has been historically known as Pars (Sasanian province), Pars () and Persis. As o ...
, Fars Province
File:Panorama of Tabriz.jpg, 6. Tabriz
Tabriz ( fa, تبریز ; ) is a city in northwestern Iran, serving as the capital of East Azerbaijan Province. It is the List of largest cities of Iran, sixth-most-populous city in Iran. In the Quri Chay, Quru River valley in Iran's historic Aze ...
, East Azerbaijan Province
File:Ahvaz in night 09.jpg, 7. Ahvaz
Ahvaz ( fa, اهواز, Ahvâz ) is a city in the southwest of Iran and the capital of Khuzestan province. Ahvaz's population is about 1,300,000 and its built-up area with the nearby town of Sheybani is home to 1,136,989 inhabitants. It is hom ...
, Khūzestān Province
File:نمایی از شهر قم از بالای بلوار شهید عماد مغنیه.jpg, 8. Qom, Qom Province
File:Kermanshah Photos M6.jpg, 9. Kermanshah
Kermanshah ( fa, کرمانشاه, Kermânšâh ), also known as Kermashan (; romanized: Kirmaşan), is the capital of Kermanshah Province, located from Tehran in the western part of Iran. According to the 2016 census, its population is 946,68 ...
, Kermanshah Province
File:Urmia, West Azerbaijan, Iran.jpg, 10. Urmia
Urmia or Orumiyeh ( fa, ارومیه, Variously transliterated as ''Oroumieh'', ''Oroumiyeh'', ''Orūmīyeh'' and ''Urūmiyeh''.) is the largest city in West Azerbaijan Province of Iran and the capital of Urmia County. It is situated at an alt ...
, West Azerbaijan Province
File:Panorama of boosar neighberhood in Rasht cut.tif, 11. Rasht
Rasht ( fa, رشت, Rašt ; glk, Rəšt, script=Latn; also romanized as Resht and Rast, and often spelt ''Recht'' in French and older German manuscripts) is the capital city of Gilan Province, Iran. Also known as the "City of Rain" (, ''Ŝahre B ...
, Gilan Province
File:Saderat Bank.jpg, 12. Zahedan
Zahedan ( Balochi and fa, , ' ) is a city and capital of Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran. At the 2016 census, its population was 587,730.
The city was the site of a deadly crackdown in October 2022, with dozens citizens killed by pro- ...
, Sistan and Baluchestan Province
See also
*
List of cities in Iran by province
This is a list of cities in Iran, categorized by province. The census years listed below comes from the Statistical Center of Iran; since the year 2006 the country of Iran has had a census every 5 years. The cities that are bold are capitals of pr ...
*
List of cities in Asia
This is a list of cities in Asia by country.
*List of cities in Afghanistan
*List of cities in Armenia
*List of cities in Azerbaijan
*List of cities in Bahrain
*List of cities and towns in Bangladesh
*List of cities in Bhutan
*List of cities and ...
References
Bibliography
*
* 1969–1973
*
*
*
*
* {{cite encyclopedia , encyclopedia=
Encyclopædia Iranica
''Encyclopædia Iranica'' is a project whose goal is to create a comprehensive and authoritative English language encyclopedia about the history, culture, and civilization of Iranian peoples from prehistory to modern times.
Scope
The ''Encycl ...
, url= http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/cities-iv
, title= Cities: Modern Urbanization and Modernization in Persia
, author= Eckart Ehlers
, year= 2011 , orig-year= 1991
Cities in Iran
Cities by population
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...