List of Iranian cities by population

Iranian population density map (based on data from the 1996 census).

Iran 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 be urban. Most internal migrants have settled near the cities of Tehran, Isfahan, Ahvaz, and Qom. Tehran, with population of 7.7 million (2006 census), is the largest city in Iran and is the Capital city. Tehran is home to around 11% of Iran's population. It is the hub of the country's communication and transport network.

Mashhad, with a population of 2.4 million, is the second largest Iranian city and the centre of the province of Razavi Khorasan. Mashhad is one of the holiest Shi'a 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 the Imam Reza's shrine every year.

Another major Iranian city is Isfahan (population 1.5 million), which is the capital of Isfahan Province. The growth of suburb area around the city has turned Isfahan to the second most populous metropolitan area (3.4 million).

The fourth major city of Iran is Tabriz (population 1.3 million) capital of the East Azarbaijan province which is the second industrial city of Iran after Tehran. Tabriz has been the second largest city in Iran until the late 1960s and one of its former capitals. The other major cities are Karaj (population 1.3 million), and Shiraz (population 1.2 million). Karaj is the capital of Alborz province and is situated 20 km west of Tehran, at the foot of Alborz mountains; however, the city is increasingly becoming an extension of metropolitan Tehran.

Cities over 1,000,000 population

1 - Tehran, Capital of Iran

2 - Mashhad, Razavi Khorasan Province

3 - Esfahān, Esfahān Province

4 - Tabriz, East Azarbaijan Province

5 - Karaj, Alborz Province

6 - Shiraz, Fars Province

7 - Ahvaz, Khūzestān Province

8 - Qom, Qom Province

9 - Kermanshah, Kermanshah Province

10 - Urmia, West Azarbaijan Province

11 - Zahedan, Sistan and Baluchestan Province

The following sortable table, lists the most populous cities in Iran with a population of more than 1,000,000 according to 2006 Census results announced by Statistical Center of Iran:

Rank	City	Province	Date of Official Foundation of Municipality	2006	1996	1986	1976	1966	1956
1	Tehran	Tehran	1885	&100000000077050360000007,705,036	&100000000067588450000006,758,845	&100000000060425840000006,042,584	&100000000045302230000004,530,223	&100000000027197300000002,719,730	&100000000015120820000001,512,082
2	Mashhad	Razavi Khorasan	1918	&100000000024108000000002,410,800	&100000000018874050000001,887,405	&100000000014635080000001,463,508	&10000000000667770000000667,770	&10000000000409616000000409,616	&10000000000241984000000241,984
3	Esfahān	Esfahān	1928	&100000000016021100000001,602,110	&100000000012660720000001,266,072	&10000000000986753000000986,753	&10000000000661510000000661,510	&10000000000424045000000424,045	&10000000000254708000000254,708
4	Tabriz	East Azarbaijan	1917	&100000000013980600000001,398,060	&100000000011910430000001,191,043	&10000000000971482000000971,482	&10000000000597976000000597,976	&10000000000403413000000403,413	&10000000000289996000000289,996
5	Karaj	Alborz	1934	&100000000013774500000001,377,450	&10000000000940968000000940,968	&10000000000611510000000611,510	&10000000000137926000000137,926	&1000000000004424300000044,243	&1000000000001452600000014,526
6	Shiraz	Fars	1950	&100000000012273110000001,227,311	&100000000010530250000001,053,025	&10000000000848289000000848,289	&10000000000425813000000425,813	&10000000000269865000000269,865	&10000000000170659000000170,659

Cities between 100,000 and 1,000,000 population

List of cities in Iran with a population between 100,000 and 1,000,000 according to 2006 Census results announced by Statistical Center of Iran:

Rank	City	Province	Date of Official Foundation of Municipality	2006	1996	1986	1976	1966	1956
7	Ahvaz	Khūzestān	1925	&10000000000969843000000969,843	&10000000000804980000000804,980	&10000000000579826000000579,826	&10000000000334399000000334,399	&10000000000206375000000206,375	&10000000000120098000000120,098
8	Qom	Qom	1926	&10000000000951918000000951,918	&10000000000777677000000777,677	&10000000000543139000000543,139	&10000000000247219000000247,219	&10000000000134292000000134,292	&1000000000009949900000099,499
9	Kermanshah	Kermanshah	1930	&10000000000784602000000784,602	&10000000000692686000000692,686	&10000000000560514000000560,514	&10000000000290600000000290,600	&10000000000187930000000187,930	&10000000000125439000000125,439
10	Orumieh	West Azarbaijan	1928	&10000000000583255000000583,255	&10000000000435200000000435,200	&10000000000300746000000300,746	&10000000000164419000000164,419	&10000000000110749000000110,749	&1000000000006760500000067,605
11	Zahedan	Sistan and Baluchestan	1938	&10000000000567449000000567,449	&10000000000419518000000419,518	&10000000000281923000000281,923	&1000000000009374000000093,740	&1000000000003973200000039,732	&1000000000001749500000017,495
12	Rasht	Gīlān	1925	&10000000000557366000000557,366	&10000000000417748000000417,748	&10000000000290897000000290,897	&10000000000188957000000188,957	&10000000000143557000000143,557	&10000000000109491000000109,491
13	Kerman	Kermān	1921	&10000000000515414000000515,414	&10000000000384991000000384,991	&10000000000257284000000257,284	&10000000000140761000000140,761	&1000000000008540400000085,404	&1000000000006215700000062,157
14	Hamedan	Hamadān	1911	&10000000000479640000000479,640	&10000000000401281000000401,281	&10000000000272499000000272,499	&10000000000165875000000165,875	&10000000000124167000000124,167	&1000000000009990900000099,909
15	Arak	Markazi	1927	&10000000000446760000000446,760	&10000000000380755000000380,755	&10000000000265349000000265,349	&10000000000116832000000116,832	&1000000000006192500000061,925	&1000000000005899800000058,998
16	Yazd	Yazd	1926	&10000000000432194000000432,194	&10000000000326776000000326,776	&10000000000230483000000230,483	&10000000000135925000000135,925	&1000000000009324100000093,241	&1000000000006350200000063,502
17	Ardabil	Ardabil	1925	&10000000000418262000000418,262	&10000000000340386000000340,386	&10000000000281973000000281,973	&10000000000147865000000147,865	&1000000000008359600000083,596	&1000000000006574200000065,742
18	Bandar Abbas	Hormozgān	1925	&10000000000367508000000367,508
19	Eslamshahr	Tehran	1978	&10000000000357171000000357,171
20	Qazvin	Qazvīn	1924	&10000000000349821000000349,821
21	Zanjan	Zanjan	1923	&10000000000341801000000341,801
22	Khorramabad	Lorestān	1931	&10000000000328544000000328,544
23	Sanandaj	Kurdistan	1928	&10000000000311446000000311,446
24	Gorgan	Golestān	1925	&10000000000269226000000269,226
25	Sari	Māzandarān	1927	&10000000000259084000000259,084
26	Kashan	Esfahān	1930	&10000000000248789000000248,789
27	Babol	Māzandarān	1956	&10000000000243636000000243,636
28	Golestan	Tehran	1996	&10000000000231882000000231,882
29	Shahr-e Qods	Tehran	1989	&10000000000229354000000229,354
30	Malard	Tehran	1995	&10000000000228673000000228,673
31	Dezful	Khūzestān	1920	&10000000000228507000000228,507
32	Borujerd	Lorestān	1935	&10000000000227547000000227,547
33	Khomeinishahr	Esfahān	1932	&10000000000218737000000218,737
34	Abadan	Khūzestān	1924	&10000000000217988000000217,988
35	Varamin	Tehran	1941	&10000000000208569000000208,569
36	Sabzevar	Razavi Khorasan	1936	&10000000000208172000000208,172
37	Najafabad	Esfahān	1931	&10000000000206114000000206,114
38	Nishapur	Razavi Khorasan	1931	&10000000000205972000000205,972
39	Amol	Māzandarān	1933	&10000000000197470000000197,470
40	Shahriar	Tehran	1952	&10000000000189120000000189,120
41	Saveh	Markazi	1931	&10000000000179009000000179,009
42	Khoy	West Azarbaijan	1923	&10000000000178708000000178,708
43	Qa'em Shahr	Māzandarān	1935	&10000000000174246000000174,246
44	Gharchak	Tehran	1976	&10000000000173832000000173,832
45	Bojnourd	North Khorasan	1931	&10000000000172772000000172,772
46	Sirjan	Kermān	1936	&10000000000167014000000167,014
47	Bushehr	Bushehr	1922	&10000000000161674000000161,674
48	Birjand	South Khorasan	1928	&10000000000157848000000157,848
49	Ilam	Īlām	1936	&10000000000155289000000155,289
50	Malayer	Hamadān	1934	&10000000000153748000000153,748
51	Bukan	West Azarbaijan	1948	&10000000000149340000000149,340
52	Maragheh	East Azarbaijan	1921	&10000000000146405000000146,405
53	Rafsanjan	Kermān	1935	&10000000000136388000000136,388
54	Nasimshahr	Tehran	1995	&10000000000135824000000135,824
55	Mahabad	West Azarbaijan	1931	&10000000000133324000000133,324
56	Saqqez	Kurdistan	1935	&10000000000131349000000131,349
57	Zabol	Sistan and Baluchestan	1928	&10000000000130642000000130,642
58	Gonbad-e Qabus	Golestān	1934	&10000000000127167000000127,167
59	Shahrood	Semnān	1925	&10000000000126916000000126,916
60	Shahrekord	Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari	1931	&10000000000126746000000126,746
61	Pakdasht	Tehran	1991	&10000000000126281000000126,281
62	Shahinshahr	Eşfahān	1976	&10000000000126070000000126,070
63	Semnan	Semnān	1925	&10000000000124999000000124,999
64	Khorramshahr	Khūzestān	1925	&10000000000123866000000123,866
65	Marvdasht	Fars	1940	&10000000000123858000000123,858
66	Andimeshk	Khūzestān	1956	&10000000000119422000000119,422
67	Torbat-e Heydarieh	Razavi Khorasan	1928	&10000000000119360000000119,360
68	Marand	East Azarbaijan	1929	&10000000000114165000000114,165
69	Miandoab	West Azarbaijan	1935	&10000000000112933000000112,933
70	Mahshahr	Khūzestān	1954	&10000000000109927000000109,927
71	Bandar-e Anzali	Gīlān	1922	&10000000000109687000000109,687
72	Shahreza	Eşfahān	1929	&10000000000108299000000108,299
73	Masjed Soleyman	Khūzestān	1959	&10000000000106121000000106,121
74	Izeh	Khūzestān	1958	&10000000000103695000000103,695
75	Jahrom	Fars	1925	&10000000000103023000000103,023
76	Dorood	Lorestān	1949	&10000000000100528000000100,528

Largest cities in the provinces

This is a list of the largest cities of the 31 provinces, based on the cities' population as of the 2006 census. (It should be noted that in 2006 Iran had only 30 provinces. The 31st province, Alborz, was split off from Tehran in 2010.)

Province	Largest city	2nd Largest	3rd Largest	4th largest
Tehran	Tehran	Eslamshahr	Golestan	Shahr-e Qods
Alborz	Karaj	Nazarabad	Savojbolagh	Taleghan
Razavi Khorasan	Mashhad	Sabzevar	Neyshabur	Torbat-e Heydarieh
Esfahan	Esfahan	Kashan	Khomeynishahr	Najafabad
Fars	Shiraz	Marvdasht	Jahrom	Fasa
Khuzestan	Ahvaz	Dezful	Abadan	Khorramshahr
East Azarbaijan	Tabriz	Maragheh	Marand	Mianeh
Mazandaran	Sari	Babol	Amol	Qa'em Shahr
West Azarbaijan	Urmia	Khoy	Miandoab	Salmas
Kerman	Kerman	Sirjan	Rafsanjan	Jiroft
Gilan	Rasht	Bandar-e Anzali	Lahijan	Langrud
Sistan and Baluchistan	Zahedan	Zabol	Iran Shahr	Chabahar
Kermanshah	Kermanshah	Eslamabad-e Gharb	Harsin	Kangavar
Lorestan	Khorramabad	Borujerd	Dorood	Koohdasht
Hamadan	Hamadan	Malayer	Nahavand	Asadabad
Golestan	Gorgan	Gonbad-e Qabus	Ali Abad	Bandar Torkaman
Kurdistan	Sanandaj	Saghez	Marivan	Baneh
Hormozgan	Bandar Abbas	Minab	Dehbarez	Bandar Lengeh
Markazi	Arak	Saveh	Khomein	Mahallat
Ardabil	Ardabil	Parsabad	Meshkinshahr	Khalkhal
Qazvin	Qazvin	Takestan	Alvand	Eqbaliyeh
Qom	Qom	Jamkaran	Qanavat	Jafariyeh
Yazd	Yazd	Meybod	Ardakan	Bafq
Zanjan	Zanjan	Abhar	Khorramdareh	Qidar
Bushehr	Bushehr	Borazjan	Bandar Ganaveh	Khormuj
Chahar Mahaal and Bakhtiari	Shahr-e Kord	Borujen	Farrokhshahr	Farsan
North Khorasan	Bojnurd	Shirvan	Esfarayen	Garmeh Jajarm
Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province	Yasuj	Dogonbadan	Dehdasht	Likak
South Khorasan	Birjand	Ghayen	Ferdows	Nehbandan
Semnān	Shahrood	Semnan	Damghan	Garmsar
Ilam	Ilam	Eyvan	Dehloran	Abdanan

See also

• List of cities in Iran
• List of Iranian cities and towns by province