Largest Cities in Iran

Top 100 cities ranked by largest cities

Best Iran Cities

Composite rankings combining multiple weighted metrics, 4 topics from climate and air quality data.

Best Climate Cities
Warm temperatures, plenty of sunshine and clean air.
Cleanest Air Cities
Lowest pollution levels for healthy outdoor living.
Sunniest Cities
Most days of sunshine per year, with warm and dry climate.
Most Urban Cities
Densely populated city centers with the largest urban footprints.
Population & Density
Largest Cities Smallest Cities Most Dense Least Dense
Climate & Air
Warmest Cities Coldest Cities Rainiest Cities Driest Cities Snowiest Cities
Geography & Infrastructure
Highest Elevation Most Restaurants
All Countries  ·  Iran

Largest Cities - Iran

1 Tehran 26 8,693,706
2 Mashhad 42 3,208,000
3 Isfahan 28 1,961,260
4 Karaj 44 1,592,492
5 Shiraz 07 1,565,572
6 Tabriz 33 1,558,693
7 Qom 39 1,201,158
8 Ahvaz 15 1,184,788
9 Kermanshah 13 946,651
10 Kahrīz 13 946,651
11 Orūmīyeh 01 736,224
12 Pīr Bāzār 08 679,995
13 Rasht 08 679,995
14 Zahedan 04 587,730
15 Kerman 29 537,718
16 Yazd 40 529,673
17 Ardabīl 32 529,374
18 Hamadān 09 528,256
19 Bandar Abbas 11 526,648
20 Arāk 34 520,944
21 Āzādshahr 09 514,102
22 Eslamshahr 26 448,129
23 Zanjan 36 430,871
24 Sanandaj 16 412,767
25 Qazvin 38 402,748
26 Gorgān 37 350,676
27 Bālā Dezā 35 309,820
28 Gol Chīnī 35 309,820
29 Sari 35 309,820
30 Shahrīār 26 309,607
31 Shahr-e Qods 26 309,605
32 Kāshān 28 304,487
33 Malārd 26 281,027
34 Dezful 15 264,709
35 Dezfūl 15 264,709
36 Neyshābūr 42 264,375
37 Marāgheh 42 262,604
38 Bābol 35 250,217
39 Khomeynī Shahr 28 247,128
40 Rehnān 28 247,128
41 Sabzevar 42 243,700
42 Andīmeshk 15 240,113
43 Golestān 26 239,556
44 Valīsdeh 35 237,528
45 Tajnīk 35 237,528
46 Geleyerd 35 237,528
47 Āmol 35 237,528
48 Kolāksar 35 237,528
49 Pākdasht 26 236,319
50 Shahrak-e Qīāmdasht 26 236,319
51 Najafābād 28 235,281
52 Borūjerd 23 234,997
53 Abadan 15 231,476
54 Qarchak 26 231,075
55 Bojnūrd 43 228,931
56 Varāmīn 26 225,628
57 Bushehr 22 223,504
58 Sāveh 34 220,762
59 Lahārem Talūk 35 204,953
60 Sārū Kolā 35 204,953
61 Chamāz Kotī 35 204,953
62 Qā’em Shahr 35 204,953
63 Bīrjand 41 203,636
64 Nasimshahr 26 200,393
65 Nasīm Shahr 26 200,393
66 Sirjan 29 199,704
67 Khowy 01 198,845
68 Īlām 10 194,030
69 Būkān 01 193,501
70 Shahr-e Kord 03 190,441
71 Semnan 25 185,129
72 Varjavī 33 175,255
73 Marāgheh 33 175,255
74 Gorgāb 28 173,329
75 Shāhīn Shahr 28 173,329
76 Khorramabad 23 170,237
77 Malāyer 09 170,237
78 Mahābād 01 168,393
79 Lāhījān 08 167,544
80 Saqqez 16 165,258
81 Shahrak-e Madanī 15 162,797
82 Bandar-e Māhshahr 15 162,797
83 Rafsanjān 29 161,909
84 Gonbad-e Kāvūs 37 151,910
85 Shahrud 25 150,129
86 Marvdasht 07 148,858
87 Kamālshahr 44 141,669
88 Jahrom 07 141,634
89 Torbat-e Ḩeydarīyeh 42 140,019
90 Marīvān 16 136,654
91 Shahreẕā 28 134,952
92 Zābol 04 134,950
93 Yasuj 05 134,532
94 Mīāndoāb 01 134,425
95 Khorramshahr 15 133,097
96 Arbaţān 33 130,825
97 Bahrām 33 130,825
98 Dowlatābād 33 130,825
99 Payām 33 130,825
100 Marand 33 130,825

The largest cities in Iran represent major centers of economic activity, cultural influence, and population growth. Tehran leads with a population of 8,693,706, followed by Mashhad and Isfahan. These cities serve as hubs for employment, education, and innovation, attracting residents from across the country and around the world.

Population size is a key indicator of a city's economic influence and infrastructure capacity. Larger cities typically offer more diverse job markets, extensive public transit systems, and a wider range of cultural amenities. 13 dominates the top 10 with 2 cities on the list, reflecting the state's strong economic pull and quality of life.

While large populations bring economic advantages, they also present challenges including higher costs of living, traffic congestion, and housing affordability concerns. Many of these cities have experienced significant growth over the past decade, driven by job opportunities in technology, healthcare, and professional services.

Did You Know?

  • 1. Tehran's population is larger than that of more than 30 U.S. states.
  • 2. 13 has 2 cities in the top 10, more than any other state.
  • 3. The 50th largest city still has a population of 236,319 - larger than most cities worldwide.
  • 4. The top 5 cities combined have a population of 17,021,030.

Browse Rankings by Region

Iran - By Region

Alborz Province Ardabil Province Bushehr Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari East Azerbaijan Fars Gilan Province Golestan Hamadan Province Hormozgan Ilam Province Isfahan Kerman Kermanshah Province Khuzestan Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Kurdistan Province Lorestan Province Markazi Māzandarān North Khorasan Qazvin Province Razavi Khorasan Semnan Sistan and Baluchestan South Khorasan Province Tehran West Azerbaijan Yazd Province Zanjan

By Country

Afghanistan Albania Algeria Angola Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bangladesh Belarus Belgium Benin Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Colombia Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czechia Democratic Republic of the Congo Denmark Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Estonia Ethiopia Finland France Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Guadeloupe Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Haiti Honduras Hong Kong Hungary India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Ivory Coast Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Lithuania Luxembourg Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Mali Malta Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Moldova Mongolia Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nepal New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria North Korea North Macedonia Norway Oman Pakistan Palestinian Territory Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Republic of the Congo Reunion Romania Russia Rwanda Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Somalia South Africa South Korea South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand The Netherlands Togo Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Uruguay Uzbekistan Venezuela Vietnam Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe