What is the capital of Bahamas?
Nassau sits on the island of New Providence and is The Bahamas' main harbour and cruise-ship port.
Nassau is the capital and seat of government of Bahamas, a role it has held since 1973. Bahamas itself has an estimated population of 403,033 (2025).
Nassau is also the largest city in Bahamas, which is the usual arrangement, though it is far from universal: see the countries where capital and largest city differ.
Nassau at a glance
| City population | 296,522 (2022) |
|---|---|
| Country | 🇧🇸 Bahamas |
| Founded | 1695 |
| Capital since | 1973 |
| Largest city in Bahamas | Nassau |
| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (EST) |
| Currency | Bahamian dollar (BSD) |
About Nassau
The settlement was founded around 1670 as Charles Town and rebuilt as Nassau in 1695, named after King William III of the House of Orange-Nassau.
Nassau has been the capital of Bahamas since 1973, Nassau has been the national capital since The Bahamas became independent in 1973, and was the seat of the colonial government for centuries before that.
About three-quarters of the entire population of The Bahamas lives in Nassau, making it an unusually dominant primate city.
It is the country's commercial centre and one of the busiest cruise ports in the Caribbean.
City facts sourced from Wikipedia: Nassau.
Frequently asked questions
What is the capital of Bahamas?
Is Nassau the largest city in Bahamas?
What is the population of Nassau?
Where is Nassau located?
When did Nassau become the capital of Bahamas?
What time zone is Nassau in?
What currency is used in Nassau?
See the full profile of Bahamas 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.