What Is the Capital of Israel? Jerusalem

Q: Is Jerusalem the largest city in Israel?

No. The largest urban area is Tel Aviv-Yafo (4.4 million), while Jerusalem has about 970,000.

Q: What time zone is Jerusalem in?

Jerusalem is on UTC+2 — UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time). Daylight saving time: +1hr, Friday before the last Sunday in March; ends the last Sunday in October.

Q: Which capital is closest to Jerusalem?

Among the capitals of neighbouring countries, Amman (Jordan) is the closest, 69 km away in a straight line.

Jerusalem at a glance

Name origin

The meaning of the ancient name is unclear; the city is called Ursalim or Urusalimmi in Egyptian texts from the 14th century B.C., which may come from the Western Semitic verb yaru, meaning "to establish," and the name Shalim, the Canaanite god of dusk; another theory says the root letters s-l-m in the name refer to shalom, meaning "peace".

Time zone

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time). Daylight saving time: +1hr, Friday before the last Sunday in March; ends the last Sunday in October.

Coordinates

31 46 N, 35 14 E · IANA time zone Asia/Jerusalem

Location of Israel

Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon

Largest cities in Israel

1

Tel Aviv-Yafo

4.4 million

2

Haifa

1.2 million

3

Jerusalem Capital

970,000

Urban-area population · CIA World Factbook (public domain)

Capitals of neighbouring countries

Capitals closest to Jerusalem

Straight-line distance between capitals.

Frequently asked questions about Jerusalem

What is the capital of Israel?

The capital of Israel is Jerusalem. About 970,000 people live in the Jerusalem urban area — 9.6% of the country's population.

Is Jerusalem the largest city in Israel?

No. The largest urban area is Tel Aviv-Yafo (4.4 million), while Jerusalem has about 970,000.

What time zone is Jerusalem in?

Jerusalem is on UTC+2 — UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time). Daylight saving time: +1hr, Friday before the last Sunday in March; ends the last Sunday in October.

Where does the name Jerusalem come from?

The meaning of the ancient name is unclear; the city is called Ursalim or Urusalimmi in Egyptian texts from the 14th century B.C., which may come from the Western Semitic verb yaru, meaning "to establish," and the name Shalim, the Canaanite god of dusk; another theory says the root letters s-l-m in the name refer to shalom, meaning "peace".

Which capital is closest to Jerusalem?

Among the capitals of neighbouring countries, Amman (Jordan) is the closest, 69 km away in a straight line.

Data: CIA World Factbook (public domain); population: World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0).

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