List of Iran Provinces and Capitals

Written and Fact-checked by Whereig Editors | Last Updated On: May 22, 2026

Iran, officially known as the Islamic Republic of Iran, is divided into 31 provinces. Here is a list of the provinces in Iran as of my knowledge cutoff in September 2021:

Iran is a large country in Western Asia bordered by Iraq, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the Persian Gulf and Caspian Sea. The country is divided into 31 provinces, and those provinces are further divided into counties, districts, and cities for local administration. Tehran is the national capital and also the largest city in Iran.

The country stretches from snowy mountain ranges and deserts to forests, fertile plains, and long coastlines along the Persian Gulf and Caspian Sea. Different provinces have their own languages, food traditions, climates, and local cultures shaped by geography and history across the region.

Key Facts

National capital: Tehran
Total population: 92,400,000 (Official estimate 2025)
Total area: 1,648,195 km² (636,372 sq miles)
Currency: Iranian Rial (﷼, IRR)
Bordering countries: Iraq, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan
Total Provinces: 31
Total Counties: 480+

List of Provinces and Capitals of Iran

Total provinces shown: 31 | Combined population: 92,400,000 | Combined area: 1,648,195 km²

#	Province Name	Capital City	Region	Area (km²)	Population (Latest Census)
1	Alborz	Karaj	Northern Iran	5,833	3,050,000
2	Ardabil	Ardabil	Northwestern Iran	17,800	1,328,000
3	Bushehr	Bushehr	Persian Gulf Coast	22,743	1,174,000
4	Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari	Shahr-e Kord	Zagros Mountains	16,332	973,000
5	East Azerbaijan	Tabriz	Northwestern Iran	45,650	3,925,000
6	Fars	Shiraz	Southern Iran	122,608	5,051,000
7	Gilan	Rasht	Caspian Coast	14,042	2,546,000
8	Golestan	Gorgan	Northeastern Iran	20,195	1,893,000
9	Hamadan	Hamadan	Western Iran	19,546	1,758,000
10	Hormozgan	Bandar Abbas	Persian Gulf Coast	70,697	1,830,000
11	Ilam	Ilam	Western Borderlands	20,133	610,000
12	Isfahan	Isfahan	Central Iran	107,029	5,400,000
13	Kerman	Kerman	Southeastern Iran	183,285	3,400,000
14	Kermanshah	Kermanshah	Western Iran	24,998	2,000,000
15	Khuzestan	Ahvaz	Southwestern Iran	64,057	4,800,000
16	Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad	Yasuj	Zagros Mountains	15,504	750,000
17	Kurdistan	Sanandaj	Western Highlands	28,817	1,700,000
18	Lorestan	Khorramabad	Zagros Mountains	28,392	1,760,000
19	Markazi	Arak	Central Iran	29,127	1,500,000
20	Mazandaran	Sari	Caspian Coast	23,756	3,500,000
21	North Khorasan	Bojnord	Northeastern Iran	28,434	900,000
22	Qazvin	Qazvin	Northern Iran	15,567	1,300,000
23	Qom	Qom	Central Iran	11,526	1,292,000
24	Razavi Khorasan	Mashhad	Northeastern Iran	118,884	6,900,000
25	Semnan	Semnan	North-Central Iran	97,491	800,000
26	Sistan and Baluchestan	Zahedan	Southeastern Iran	180,726	3,300,000
27	South Khorasan	Birjand	Eastern Iran	151,193	900,000
28	Tehran	Tehran	Central-Northern Iran	18,814	14,200,000
29	West Azerbaijan	Urmia	Northwestern Iran	37,437	3,400,000
30	Yazd	Yazd	Central Desert Region	129,285	1,300,000
31	Zanjan	Zanjan	Northwestern Iran	21,773	1,057,000

Largest Provinces by Area

Kerman - 70,767 sq mi (183,285 km²)
Sistan and Baluchestan - 69,779 sq mi (180,726 km²)
South Khorasan - 58,376 sq mi (151,193 km²)
Yazd - 49,917 sq mi (129,285 km²)
Fars - 47,339 sq mi (122,608 km²)
Razavi Khorasan - 45,902 sq mi (118,884 km²)
Isfahan - 41,324 sq mi (107,029 km²)
Semnan - 37,642 sq mi (97,491 km²)

Most Populous Provinces

Tehran - Population: 14,200,000 (Official Estimate 2025)
Razavi Khorasan - Population: 6,900,000 (Official Estimate 2025)
Isfahan - Population: 5,400,000 (Official Estimate 2025)
Fars - Population: 5,051,000 (Official Estimate 2025)
Khuzestan - Population: 4,800,000 (Official Estimate 2025)
East Azerbaijan - Population: 3,925,000 (Official Estimate 2025)
Mazandaran - Population: 3,500,000 (Official Estimate 2025)
Kerman - Population: 3,400,000 (Official Estimate 2025)

Smallest Provinces by Area

Alborz - 2,252 sq mi (5,833 km²)
Qom - 4,450 sq mi (11,526 km²)
Gilan - 5,422 sq mi (14,042 km²)
Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad - 5,986 sq mi (15,504 km²)
Qazvin - 6,011 sq mi (15,567 km²)
Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari - 6,306 sq mi (16,332 km²)

Provinces by Regional Grouping

Northern Iran: Alborz, Qazvin
Northwestern Iran: Ardabil, East Azerbaijan, West Azerbaijan, Zanjan
Northeastern Iran: Golestan, North Khorasan, Razavi Khorasan
Western Iran: Hamadan, Kermanshah
Western Highlands: Kurdistan
Western Borderlands: Ilam
Central Iran: Isfahan, Markazi, Qom
Central-Northern Iran: Tehran
North-Central Iran: Semnan
Southern Iran: Fars
Southwestern Iran: Khuzestan
Southeastern Iran: Kerman, Sistan and Baluchestan
Eastern Iran: South Khorasan
Persian Gulf Coast: Bushehr, Hormozgan
Caspian Coast: Gilan, Mazandaran
Zagros Mountains: Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, Lorestan
Central Desert Region: Yazd

Landlocked Provinces

Alborz
Ardabil
Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari
East Azerbaijan
Golestan
Hamadan
Ilam
Isfahan
Kerman
Kermanshah
Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad
Kurdistan
Lorestan
Markazi
North Khorasan
Qazvin
Qom
Razavi Khorasan
Semnan
South Khorasan
Tehran
West Azerbaijan
Yazd
Zanjan

Provinces with Coastline

Bushehr
Fars
Gilan
Hormozgan
Khuzestan
Mazandaran
Sistan and Baluchestan

Provinces Sharing Borders with Other Countries

Iraq: Ilam, Kermanshah, Khuzestan, Kurdistan, West Azerbaijan
Turkey: West Azerbaijan
Armenia: East Azerbaijan, West Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan: Ardabil, East Azerbaijan, West Azerbaijan
Turkmenistan: Golestan, North Khorasan, Razavi Khorasan
Afghanistan: Razavi Khorasan, South Khorasan, Sistan and Baluchestan
Pakistan: Sistan and Baluchestan

Sources

Data compiled from official provincial statistics and administrative records. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}

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