What is the capital of Dominican Republic?
Santo Domingo lies on the southern coast of the island of Hispaniola, on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River, which divides the city into eastern and western halves.
Santo Domingo is the capital and seat of government of Dominican Republic. Dominican Republic itself has an estimated population of 11,520,487 (2025).
Santo Domingo is also the largest city in Dominican Republic, which is the usual arrangement, though it is far from universal: see the countries where capital and largest city differ.
Santo Domingo at a glance
| City population | 1,029,110 (2022 census) |
|---|---|
| Metropolitan area | 4,274,651 (2022 census, Greater Santo Domingo) |
| Country | 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic |
| Founded | 1498 |
| Largest city in Dominican Republic | Santo Domingo |
| Time zone | UTC−04:00 (AST) |
| Currency | Dominican peso (DOP) |
About Santo Domingo
The city was founded by Bartholomew Columbus, brother of Christopher, officially on 5 August 1498, making it the oldest continuously inhabited European city in the Americas.
Santo Domingo is the site of the first cathedral, first university, first castle and first fortress built by Europeans in the New World.
It is the largest city in the Dominican Republic and one of the largest in the Caribbean.
City facts sourced from Wikipedia: Santo Domingo.
Frequently asked questions
What is the capital of Dominican Republic?
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Capitals of neighbouring countries
See the full profile of Dominican Republic 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.