What is the capital of Albania?
Tirana sits on the Plain of Tirana in central Albania, below Mount Dajti to the east, with the Tiranë and Lanë rivers running through the city.
Tirana is the capital and seat of government of Albania, a role it has held since 1920. Albania itself has an estimated population of 2,349,580 (2025).
Tirana is also the largest city in Albania, which is the usual arrangement, though it is far from universal: see the countries where capital and largest city differ.
Tirana at a glance
| City population | 526,017 (2011 census) |
|---|---|
| Metropolitan area | 800,986 (2011 census) |
| Country | 🇦🇱 Albania |
| Founded | 1614 |
| Capital since | 1920 |
| Largest city in Albania | Tirana |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| Currency | Albanian lek (ALL) |
About Tirana
Tirana was founded in 1614 by the Ottoman-Albanian nobleman Sulejman Pasha Bargjini.
Tirana has been the capital of Albania since 1920, when the Congress of Lushnjë made it Albania's capital, a status confirmed permanently in 1925.
Vlorë was Albania's first capital at independence in 1912, and Durrës served as the capital before the seat of government moved to Tirana in 1920.
Tirana is Albania's largest city and its main economic, cultural and political hub.
City facts sourced from Wikipedia: Tirana.
Frequently asked questions
What is the capital of Albania?
Is Tirana the largest city in Albania?
What is the population of Tirana?
Where is Tirana located?
When did Tirana become the capital of Albania?
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Capitals of neighbouring countries
See the full profile of Albania on its country page, or browse every capital city.
Capital and country data from open datasets; city and metropolitan populations are hand-curated per city and cited where they are shown. Populations of countries come from the World Bank (SP.POP.TOTL). Full sources and vintage on the data page. Last updated . Report a correction.