What is the capital of Mongolia?
Ulan Bator sits in a valley on the Tuul river at about 1,350 metres, and is the coldest national capital in the world by average temperature.
Ulan Bator is the capital and seat of government of Mongolia, a role it has held since 1639. Mongolia itself has an estimated population of 3,568,978 (2025).
Ulan Bator is also the largest city in Mongolia, which is the usual arrangement, though it is far from universal: see the countries where capital and largest city differ.
Ulan Bator at a glance
| City population | 1,672,627 (2021) |
|---|---|
| Country | 🇲🇳 Mongolia |
| Capital since | 1639 |
| Largest city in Mongolia | Ulan Bator |
| Time zone | UTC+08:00 (ULAT) |
| Currency | Mongolian tögrög (MNT) |
About Ulan Bator
Ulan Bator has been the capital of Mongolia since 1639, Ulan Bator began in 1639 as a movable monastery town, was permanently settled in 1778, and took its modern name, Ulaanbaatar, in 1924 when it became the capital of the Mongolian People's Republic.
Ulan Bator, spelled Ulaanbaatar in Mongolian, is Mongolia's largest city and home to about half of the country's population.
City facts sourced from Wikipedia: Ulaanbaatar.
Frequently asked questions
What is the capital of Mongolia?
Is Ulan Bator the largest city in Mongolia?
What is the population of Ulan Bator?
Where is Ulan Bator located?
When did Ulan Bator become the capital of Mongolia?
What time zone is Ulan Bator in?
What currency is used in Ulan Bator?
Capitals of neighbouring countries
See the full profile of Mongolia 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.