Ashdod

Ashdod is the <a href="/facts/List_of_Israeli_cities/fTTl3z17">sixth-largest city</a> in <a href="/facts/Israel/dEe3IcaY">Israel</a>. Located in the country's <a href="/facts/Southern_District_(Israel)/3smSsHSu">Southern District</a>, it lies on the <a href="/facts/Mediterranean_Sea/Vr2pzVbM">Mediterranean</a> <a href="/facts/Israeli_coastal_plain/vxYR0CJm">coast</a> 32 kilometres (20 miles) south of Tel Aviv and 20 km (12 mi) north of <a href="/facts/Ashkelon/aLwPHpaK">Ashkelon</a>. <a href="/facts/Port_of_Ashdod/MVYILzRf">Ashdod's port</a> is the largest in Israel, handling 60% of the country's imported goods.
Ashdod has a history spanning approximately 3,700 years. In ancient times, Ashdod developed as an active maritime trade center, with its ports identified at <a href="/facts/Ashdod-Yam/cVI4hpU8">Ashdod-Yam</a> and Tel Mor. The remains of the ancient city and later settlements are located at <a href="/facts/Ashdod_(ancient_city)/fNAaRARh">Tel Ashdod</a>. In <a href="/facts/History_of_ancient_Israel_and_Judah/qVoA0uua">biblical times</a>, it was one of the five principal cities of the <a href="/facts/Philistines/TAYs6ooJ">Philistines</a>. The city's name was later preserved in the Arab town of <a href="/facts/Isdud/gT36N3zy">Isdud</a>, which was depopulated during the <a href="/facts/1948_Arab%25E2%2580%2593Israeli_War/X3GSudUm">1948 Arab–Israeli War</a>.
Modern Ashdod was established in 1956 on the sand hills, 6 kilometers northwest of the ancient site. It was incorporated as a city in 1968, with a land-area of approximately 60 square kilometres (23 sq mi). Being a <a href="/facts/Planned_community/Lasw19Pu">planned city</a>, expansion followed a main <a href="/facts/Development_plan/Nf1JgCH0">development plan</a>, which facilitated traffic and prevented <a href="/facts/Air_pollution/zmk9Dy7S">air pollution</a> in the residential areas, despite population growth. Alongside the port, the city hosts additional national infrastructure, making it an important industrial center. Dr. <a href="/facts/Yehiel_Lasri/efaUqJ0a">Yehiel Lasri</a> 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 <a href="/facts/Moroccan_Jewish/DhDkMbSJ">Moroccan</a> and <a href="/facts/Karaite_Jewish/8qHXQY86">Karaite Jewish</a> communities in Israel, and to the largest <a href="/facts/History_of_the_Jews_in_Georgia/SWKhmK5b">Georgian Jewish</a> community in the world. According to the <a href="/facts/Israel_Central_Bureau_of_Statistics/CByUgJYp">Israel Central Bureau of Statistics</a>, Ashdod had a population of 226,827 in 2022, with an area of 47,242 dunams (47.242 km2; 18.240 sq mi).

Ashdod open-in-new

Ashdod