What is the capital of Haiti?
Port-au-Prince stands on the Gulf of Gonave, whose bay forms a natural harbour, and is laid out like an amphitheatre: commercial districts near the water, residential neighbourhoods on the hills above.
Port-au-Prince is the capital and seat of government of Haiti, a role it has held since 1804. Haiti itself has an estimated population of 11,906,095 (2025).
Port-au-Prince is also the largest city in Haiti, which is the usual arrangement, though it is far from universal: see the countries where capital and largest city differ.
Port-au-Prince at a glance
| City population | 1,200,000 (2022 estimate) |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | PORT oh PRINSS |
| Country | 🇭🇹 Haiti |
| Founded | 1749 |
| Capital since | 1804 |
| Largest city in Haiti | Port-au-Prince |
| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (EST) |
| Currency | Haitian gourde (HTG) |
About Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince was first incorporated as a town under French colonial rule in 1749.
Port-au-Prince has been the capital of Haiti since 1804, the year Haiti declared its independence from France.
The bay the city sits on has supported economic activity since the time of the Taino, long before European settlement.
A magnitude 7.0 earthquake in January 2010 destroyed or damaged a large share of the city's buildings; the Haitian government put the death toll at 230,000.
City facts sourced from Wikipedia: Port-au-Prince.
Frequently asked questions
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Capitals of neighbouring countries
See the full profile of Haiti 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.