Irbid

Irbid (Arabella) إربد
City
Nickname:  Bride of the North
Irbid (Arabella)
Coordinates: 32°33′0″N 35°51′0″E / 32.55000°N 35.85000°E / 32.55000; 35.85000
Grid position	230/217
Country	Jordan
Governorate	Irbid Governorate
Founded	7000 BC
Government
• Type	Municipality
• Mayor	Nabeel Al-Kofahi
Area [1]
• City	410 km2 (160 sq mi)
• Metro	1,572 km2 (607 sq mi)
Elevation	620 m (2,034 ft)
Population  (2020)
• City	569,068
• Density	1,400/km2 (3,600/sq mi)
• Metro	2,003,800 [2]
Time zone	UTC+2 (GMT)
• Summer (DST)	+3
Area code	+(962)2
Website	www.irbid.gov.jo

Irbid (Arabic: إِربِد), known in ancient times as Arabella or Arbela (Άρβηλα in Ancient Greek), is the capital and largest city of Irbid Governorate. It has the second-largest metropolitan population in Jordan after Amman, with a population of around 2,003,800.^[3] As a city, Irbid is Jordan's third-largest, after Amman and Zarqa.

Irbid is located about 70 kilometres (43 mi) north of Amman on the northern ridge of the Gilead, equidistant from Pella, Beit Ras (Capitolias), and Um Qais, and approximately 20 kilometres (12 mi) south of the Syrian border.

Irbid was built on successive Early Bronze Age settlements and was possibly the biblical Beth Arbel and the Arbila of the Decapolis, a Hellenistic league of the 1st-2nd century BCE. The population of Irbid swelled in the late 19th century, and prior to 1948 it served as a significant centre of transit trade.^[4]

The city is a major ground transportation hub between Amman, Syria to the north, and Mafraq to the east. The Irbid region is also home to several colleges and universities. The two most prominent universities are Jordan University of Science and Technology and Yarmouk University.