Ashdod

Ashdod אַשְׁדּוֹד‎
City (from 1968)
Hebrew transcription(s)
• ISO 259	ʔašdod
From top left: Minat al-Qal'a, Cultural Center, Aerial view of the port, View of the marina, Square of Candles, Ashdod at night, Big Fashion Store, Sculpture The eye of the sun.
Coat of arms
Ashdod Show map of Ashkelon region of Israel Ashdod Show map of Israel
Coordinates: 31°48′0″N 34°39′0″E / 31.80000°N 34.65000°E / 31.80000; 34.65000
Country	Israel
District	Southern
Founded	1956 (Israeli city)
Government
• Mayor	Yehiel Lasri
Area
• Total	47,242 dunams (47.242 km2 or 18.240 sq mi)
Population  (2022)[1]
• Total	226,827
• Density	4,800/km2 (12,000/sq mi)
Website	www.ashdod.muni.il

Ashdod (Hebrew: אַשְׁדּוֹד, romanized: ʾašdōḏ, pronounced [ʔaʃˈdod] ^ⓘ; Arabic: أسدود, romanized: ʾasdūd, pronounced [ʔasˈduːd], or إسدود, ʾisdūd [ʔɪsˈduːd]; Philistine: 𐤀𐤔𐤃𐤃‎, romanized: *ʾašdūd) is the sixth-largest city in Israel. Located in the country's Southern District, it lies on the Mediterranean coast 32 kilometres (20 miles) south of Tel Aviv and 20 km (12 mi) north of Ashkelon. Ashdod's port is the largest in Israel, handling 60% of the country's imported goods.

Ashdod has a history spanning approximately 3,700 years.^[2] In biblical times, it was one of the five principal cities of the Philistines. The city's name was later preserved in the Arab town of Isdud, which was depopulated during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. In ancient times, Ashdod developed as an active maritime trade center, with its ports identified at Ashdod-Yam and Tel Mor. The remains of the ancient city and later settlements are located at Tel Ashdod.

Modern Ashdod was established in 1956 on the sand hills, 6 kilometers northwest of the ancient site.^[3] It was incorporated as a city in 1968, with a land-area of approximately 60 square kilometres (23 sq mi). Being a planned city, expansion followed a main development plan, which facilitated traffic and prevented air pollution in the residential areas, despite population growth. Alongside the port, the city hosts additional national infrastructure, making it an important industrial center. Dr. Yehiel Lasri has been the mayor of Ashdod since 2008. The city is a member of the Forum of 15 cities.

Since its establishment, Ashdod has absorbed extensive Jewish immigration from around the world, resulting in one of the highest percentages of new immigrants in Israel. The city is home to the largest Moroccan and Karaite Jewish communities in Israel,^[4][5] and to the largest Georgian Jewish community in the world.^[6] According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, Ashdod had a population of 226,827 in 2022,^[1] with an area of 47,242 dunams (47.242 km²; 18.240 sq mi).^[7]