Cities & Towns
Despite its small size, Israel boasts many vibrant cities and towns. The large number of urban communities reflects both the strong national desire to settle the entire Land of Israel, and the need to house the high number of Jewish immigrants who have arrived here over the last 100 years.
This reality is, as with most everything in Israel, rooted in biblical prophecy. The Lord promised to bring His people Israel back to their land, and to plant them in their former cities again.
And they shall rebuild the old ruins, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations. (Isaiah 61:4)
Nor is this the end of the story. God also promised that He would spread prosperity throughout their cities, which He calls His, and to again choose Jerusalem, His holy city and the eternal capital of Israel.
Again proclaim, saying, "Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'My cities shall again spread out through prosperity; the LORD will again comfort Zion, and will again choose Jerusalem.'" (Zechariah 1:17)
The cities and towns of Israel are rich and diverse in culture and atmosphere, often combining an old world atmosphere with a very modern way of life to produce a living experience like no other. The nation's millenia of history and heritage can still be clearly felt despite the modern accommodations.
Israel is also a meeting place between East and West, with a blend of both cultures as immigrants from all nations of the West lived side by side with inhabitants from the East. All of this makes for the rather unique cultural atmosphere that prevails in most of Israel's rural and suburban settings.
Please browse through our list of Israel's cities and towns to get a better feel for their background and situation in the land. More urban centers will be brought into this list so do check back.
Regions:
|
Golan Heights Upper Galilee Western Galilee |
Lower Galilee Coastal Plain Samaria |
Sh'fila (Judean Foothills) Judean Hills Negev |
Qatzrin
Founded: Approval - November 1973; construction began 1974; 1977 first family moves to Qatzrin.
Population: 5,900
Location: Central Golan Heights.
Interesting fact: Qatzrin is the capital of the Golan Heights
region. The Old City of Qatzrin dates back at least 500 years and
contains one of the oldest discovered synagogues in Israel.
Majdal Shams
Founded: ca. 1650
Population: 7,500
Location: Lower slopes of Mt. Hermon in the northern Golan Heights. 230 km / 142 miles from
Jerusalem; 212 km / 131 miles from Tel Aviv.
Interesting fact: Majdal Shams is the largest town on the Golan
Heights, and has an entirely Druze population. The name Majdal Shams
means "Tower of the Sun".
Karmi'el (Carmel)
Founded: 1964
Population: 37,600
Location: Central Galilee region, midway between the Sea of Galilee and the Mediterranean
coast.
Interesting fact: A planned modern city, Karmi'el is situated at the crossroads of the
Upper and Lower Galilee, and is home of the ORT International Technological College.
Kiryat Shemonah
Founded: 1949
Population: 22,000
Location: Northern Hula Valley, just west of the Golan Heights. 208 km / 130 miles from
Jerusalem; 188 km / 117 miles from Tel Aviv.
Interesting fact: Built on the site of the abandoned Arab village of Helsa, Kiryat Shemonah
was originally called Kiryat Yosef but changed to Kiryat Shemona in memory of Joseph Trumpeldor
and his seven comrades who fell defending nearby Tel Hai in 1920 (shemonah means "eight" in
Hebrew).
Metula
Founded: 1896
Population: 2,500
Location: The Israel-Lebanon border. 216 km / 135 miles from Jerusalem; 198 km / 123 miles
from Tel Aviv.
Interesting fact: Metula was founded under the patronage of the Baron de Rothschild as a
farming community and a front line against Arab raids from the north.
Rosh Pina
Founded: 1882
Population: 2,000
Location: Just north of the Sea of Galilee on the slopes of Mt. Canaan overlooking the Golan
Heights, Hula Valley and northern part of the Sea of Galilee. 184 km / 115 miles from Jerusalem;
166 km / 100 miles from Tel Aviv.
Interesting fact: - The first new Jewish village of the Galilee region, the site was first
settled in 1878 by settlers from Tsefat and named Gai Oni. The original settlers were forced to
leave three years later by hunger and drought. In 1882 the site was settled anew by immigrants
from Romania and named Rosh Pina (taken from Psalm 118:22, "The stone which the builders refused
is become the head stone of the corner." - Rosh pina means "head of the corner" in Hebrew)
in memory of the trials faced by the original settlers of the site.
Tiberias
Founded: 19 AD
Population: 37,700
Location: Western shores of the Sea of Galilee. 152 km / 95 miles from Jerusalem; 134 km /
83 miles from Tel Aviv.
Interesting fact: Named in honor of the Roman Emperor Tiberius, 14-37 AD, the city was built
by Herod Antipas, the son of King Herod. In its early years Tiberias was a popular Roman resort
town with hot springs and bath houses.
Tiberias is said to have been built on the site of the ancient Naphtali town of Rakkath (Joshua 19:35) though it is also thought to have been built over an ancient graveyard thus making it unclean for Jews to enter.
Although the Jews would not enter the ancient Roman town, after the fall of Jerusalem in AD 135, Tiberias ironically became the center of rabbinic learning. Tiberias became the seat of the Sanhedrin, Jewish religious council, during the 2nd and 3rd centuries and here the Mishnah was completed in about AD 200 and the Jerusalem (or Palestinian) Talmud was finished about AD 400. Tiberias subsequently became one of the four cities holy to Judaism.
Tsefat
Founded: 70 AD
Population: 25,000
Location: Northwest of the Sea of Galilee in the hills overlooking the lake. 188 km / 117
miles from Jerusalem; 167 km / 104 miles from Tel Aviv.
Interesting fact: One of the four holy cities of Judaism (the others being Jerusalem,
Tiberias and Hebron), Tsefat has a rich history of scholarship and spirituality. Tsefat is the
center of Jewish mysticism, the home of Kabala.
Akko
Founded: ca. 1500 BC
Population: 44,800
Location: Israel's northern Mediterranean coast. 173 km / 108 miles from Jerusalem; 117 km /
73 miles from Tel Aviv.
Interesting fact: Akko is one of the oldest continuously populated cities in the world,
dating back at least 3,500 years. The ancient city of Akko was part of the territory given to the
Tribe of Asher during the Israelite conquest of the Land. Ancient Egyptian documents from that time
period mention the city.
Haifa
Founded: ca. 200 AD
Population: 265,700
Location: Israel's northern Mediterranean coast. 151 km / 94 miles from Jerusalem; 95 km /
59 miles from Tel Aviv.
Interesting fact: Modern Haifa is Israel's third largest city and it's primary port.
Haifa has a mixed Arab-Jewish population that has co-existed in relative peace and harmony for much
of the past century. Modern Haifa is also the home of the Bahai religion.
Ancient Haifa is first mentioned in writings during the 3rd century AD. However, a number of settlements existed at the site of the modern city for many centuries prior to that. It is believed that a number of these smaller towns and settlements, including the town of Haifa, eventually grew into each other, forming the larger city of Haifa.
Nahariya
Founded: 1934
Population: 41,300
Location: Israel's northern Mediterranean coast. 183 km / 112 miles from Jerusalem; 127 km /
77 miles from Tel Aviv.
Interesting fact: Nahariya was founded by German immigrants who fled Germany following
Hitler's rise to power in 1933. Contrary to most other settlements in the Galilee region, Nahariya
was founded without the assistance of one of the major Jewish agencies and purely on the initiative
of the immigrants. The founding of Nahariya sparked off a much larger movement to settle the
Western Galilee.
Afula
Founded: 1925
Population: 37,000
Location: Center of the Jezreel Valley. 120 km / 73 miles from Jerusalem; 91 km / 56 miles
from Tel Aviv.
Interesting fact: Situated in the heart of the Jezreel Valley, Afula is the capital of this
populace region of Israel.
Bet She'an
Founded: ca. 1500 BC
Population: 15,300
Location: The crossroads of the Jezreel and Jordan valleys. 115 km / 71 miles from Jerusalem;
117 km / 73 miles from Tel Aviv.
Interesting fact: Bet She'an was an ancient Philistine city that Joshua failed to conquer
and from the walls of which King Saul's body was hung following Israel's defeat at the hands of the Philistines
(I Samuel 31:1-10). Following his ascension as King of Israel, David took Bet She'an during his
wars against the Philistines and the city remained under Israelite rule for another 300 years.
Following the Assyrian conquest of Israel, the city changed hands numerous times, becoming one
of the largest and wealthiest cities in all of the Land of Israel during the Greek and Roman
periods of domination. At the outbreak of the War of Independence, Bet She'an was an Arab town
from which all the inhabitants fled. The city was repopulated with Jewish immigrants from North
Africa.
Migdal Ha'Emek
Founded: 1953
Population: 25,000
Location: Foot hills on the northern side of the Jezreel Valley. 135 km / 84 miles from
Jerusalem; 105 km / 65 miles from Tel Aviv.
Interesting fact: Migdal Ha'Emek was built following the War of Independence as a development
town with the intent of drawing some of the Jewish population away from the heavily populated
coastal plain to the predominantly Arab Galilee region.
Nazareth
Founded: ca. 1500 BC
Population: 57,200
Location: The hills just north of the Jezreel Valley. 131 km / 81 miles from Jerusalem; 102
km / 63 miles from Tel Aviv.
Interesting fact: Nazareth is the largest Arab town in Israel with a mixed Muslim-Christian
population that co-exists in relative harmony. Nazareth is the hometown of Yeshua and numerous
churches commemorating that fact dominate Nazareth's skyline. Nazareth has grown from an
insignificant backwater during the time of Yeshua to one of northern Israel's largest cities.
Nazareth Illit
Founded: 1957
Population: 42,500
Location: Adjacent to the city of Nazareth. 131 km / 81 miles from Jerusalem; 102 km / 63
miles from Tel Aviv.
Interesting fact: In 1956 the first pioneers arrived forming the settlement of Kiryat
Nazareth. Nazareth Illit has a mixed population of Arab Christians and Muslims with a majority of
Jewish residents. The city boasts one of the highest education standards in the nation, and is
recognized as the capital of the Galilee region.
Umm el Fahm
Founded: ca. 1265
Population: 33,200
Location: The edge of the Jezreel Valley, just on the Israeli side of the "Green Line"
separating Samaria from the rest of Israel.
Interesting fact: In 1948 Umm el Fahm was under Iraqi military control. During the War of
Independence the town came under Jordanian rule, but as a part of the Israel-Jordan armistice
agreement following the war Umm el Fahm was handed over to Israel.
Ashdod
Founded: 1956
Population: 150,000
Location: Israel's southern Mediterranean coast. 66 km / 41 miles from Jerusalem; 37 km / 23
miles from Tel Aviv.
Interesting fact: Ashdod was, in Biblical times, one of the Philistine cities in constant
rivalry with Israel. Ashdod today, after being reborn in 1956, is a bustling city full of Jewish
immigrants and boasts the nation's second largest sea port.
Ashkelon
Founded: 1948
Population: 98,000
Location: Israel's southern Mediterranean coast. 71 km / 44 miles from Jerusalem; 54 km / 33
miles from Tel Aviv.
Interesting fact: Ashkelon is first seen in ancient Egyptian documents dating back to the
20th century BC. Ashkelon is most famous in antiquity, along with Ashdod, as one of the 5 chief
Philistine cities. As such, Ashkelon was involved in almost constant warfare with Israel until
its subjugation by King David. Ashkelon played a pivotal role in the War of Independence as what
proved to be an impenetrable barrier between the Egyptian Army and Tel Aviv.
Hadera
Founded: 1891
Population: 80,000
Location: Just off the Mediterranean coast midway between Haifa and Tel Aviv. 101 km / 63
miles from Jerusalem; 48 km / 30 miles from Tel Aviv.
Interesting fact: Hadera comes from the Arabic word for "green" as the city is located in
what is recognized to be the greenest and most lush area of the Coastal Plain region.
Hertzliya
Founded: 1924
Population: 100,000
Location: Minutes north of Tel Aviv on the Mediterranean coast. 66 km / 41 miles from
Jerusalem; 10 km / 6 miles from Tel Aviv.
Interesting fact: Hertzliya is named after the father of modern Zionism, Theodor Hertzl.
Now a northern suburb of Tel Aviv, Hertzliya is number one on the upper class list of neighborhoods
in the Gush Dan region.
Lod
Founded: ca. 1500 BC
Population: 60,000
Location: Eastern edge of the Coastal Plain. 43 km / 26 miles from Jerusalem; 15 km / 9
miles from Tel Aviv.
Interesting fact: Originally a Canaanite city, Lod was occupied by Egyptian forces in the
15th century BC from whom we get our earliest references to town. Lod also plays a role in the
travels of Peter in the New Testament. Today Lod is a successful industrial town and location
of the Ben Gurion Airport, often erroneously referred to as Tel Aviv Airport.
Netanya
Founded: 1929
Population: 175,000
Location: Just north of the Gush Dan region on the Mediterranean coast. 85 km / 53 miles from
Jerusalem; 29 km / 18 miles from Tel Aviv.
Interesting fact: Named after the American Zionist leader Nathan
Straus, Netanya is a favorite settling place for many new immigrants to
Israel as well as a popular resort spot for summer vacationers from
Europe and the United States.
Tel Aviv - Yafo
Founded: Tel Aviv - 1909; Yafo - ca. 2000 BC
Population: 356,000
Location: Mediterranean coast, northwest of Jerusalem. 58 km / 36 miles from Jerusalem.
Interesting fact: The city of Yafo is approximately 4,000 years old, though the exact year of
its founding is unknown. The oldest known inhabitants of the city were the Egyptians in ca. 2000
BC. The name Yafo comes from the name of Noah's son Japheth, or Yafet.
Tel Aviv was born when the Jewish residents of Yafo finally decided that they had no other choice but to leave their poverty infested, squalor stricken neighborhoods in the town. They chose an area of land just north of Yafo and, in 1906, cast lots in order to allocate the plots of land. Three years later, in 1909, the city of Tel Aviv was founded. The name Tel Aviv is a play on words with tel being the Hebrew for a "mound of ancient ruins" and aviv meaning "spring". Thus the name Tel Aviv is a balance of the "old" and the "new", the "ancient" and the "reborn". Tel Aviv later surpassed Yafo in size becoming the dominant of the two and is today Israel's financial and business capital.
Zichron Ya'akov
Founded: 1882
Population: 11,100
Location: Carmel Mountain range south of the Haifa area. 118 km / 73 miles from Jerusalem;
64 km / 40 miles from Tel Aviv.
Interesting fact: Zichron Ya'akov was originally founded, and named, by the Baron de
Rothschild as an agricultural settlement focusing on the production of wines.
Ariel
Founded: 1978
Population: 15,000
Location: Central Samaria, northwest of Jerusalem.
Interesting fact: Ariel lies in central Samaria, the Biblical heartland of Israel, and is
recognized as the Jewish capital of the region. The town boasts a highly successful economy as
well as a local university.
Kiryat Gat
Founded: 1955
Population: 50,000
Location: The meeting point of the Sh'fila and the Coastal Plain. Kiryat Gat is almost
precisely located in the center of Israel. 70 km / 43 miles from Jerusalem; 63 km / 39 miles from Tel Aviv.
Interesting fact: Kiryat Gat is named after the nearby ruins of the ancient Philistine city
of Gat.
Modi'in
Founded: 1978
Population: 25,000
Location: Foothills of the Judean Hills midway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
Interesting fact: Modi'in is the ancient hometown of the Hasmoneans, or Maccabeans, that
ousted the Syrian-Greek overlords from the Land of Israel in the 2nd century BCE. The revolt began
under the military leadership of Judah Maccabee and is the basis for the holiday of Hanukah. The
modern city of Modi'in is a well thought out and precisely planned city that is increasingly
becoming the home of more and more high-tech firms.
Jerusalem
Founded: ca. 2000 BC
Population: 600,000
Location: Jerusalem is located southeast of Tel Aviv in the Judean hills on the edge of the
Judean Wilderness. 58 km / 36 miles from Tel Aviv.
Interesting fact: Jerusalem is first mentioned in the Bible as the city of Shalem, the city
of Melchitzedek, friend of Abraham. Jerusalem became the capital of the Kingdom of Israel under
David in ca. 1000 BC and remained the nation's capital until its destruction in 586 BC by the Babylonian
armies. Jerusalem was rebuilt and served as Israel's capital off and on under various foreign
rulers until 70 AD, when Roman legions burned the city and expelled its Jewish inhabitants. In
1967 Jerusalem was reunited following the Six Day War and the entire city once again became the
capital of the Jewish people, the capital of Israel. Today Jerusalem is a large and bustling
city offering a breathtaking mixture of old world atmosphere and modern living.
Kiryat Arba
Founded: 1972
Population: 6,000
Location: Northeastern outskirts of Hebron.
Interesting fact: Kiryat Arba is named after the ancient, Biblical town of the same name,
conquered in ca. 1400 BC by Caleb. Kiryat Arba today is a small Jewish town on the outskirts of
the ancient city of Hebron, burial place of the patriarchs and David's first capital city.
Arad
Founded: 1962
Population: 26,000
Location: Border of the Negev and the Judean Wilderness, just west of the Dead Sea.
100 km / 62 miles from Jerusalem; 150 km / 93 miles from Tel Aviv.
Interesting fact: Arad is an ancient desert city dating back at least 5,000 years, with a
Jewish presence dating back about 3,000 years. Arad is first mentioned in the book of Numbers as
the Children of Israel began their journey into the southern region of the Land of Israel. Renewed
settlement in 1962 has led to the modernization of Arad which is now a small but important town in
the Negev / Dead Sea region.
Beersheva
Founded: ca. 2000 BC
Population: 180,000
Location: Northern Negev desert region. 81 km / 50 miles from Jerusalem; 105 km / 65 miles
from Tel Aviv.
Interesting fact: The first reference to Beersheva is found in
the book of Genesis as a place where Abraham dwelt for a time.
Beersheva remained a small town through the centuries until 1900 when
renewed Jewish immigration began to bolster her numbers. Today,
Beersheva is the capital of the Negev region combining an old world
Bedouin feel with an industrialized and modern city. Beersheva is also
home to the Ben Gurion University of the Negev.
Eilat
Founded: 1949 (declared a city in 1959)
Population: 49,000
Location: Extreme southern tip of Israel. 309 km / 193 miles from Jerusalem; 346 km / 120 miles from Tel Aviv.
Interesting fact: Eilat is an ancient port and outpost on the Red Sea, utilized by King
Solomon in his trade endeavors with the Far East and as a base for his Red Sea fleet. Following
Israel's independence in 1948 the city's numbers were bolstered by increased Jewish immigration.
Today Eilat is Israel's premier resort town and a favorite destination for thousands of European
and American vacationers each year.
