Karaj (Persian: کرج‎  pronunciation  pronounced [kæˈɾædʒ]) is a city in and the capital of Karaj County, Alborz Province, Iran. Its population was 1.61 million in the latest 2011 census, making it the fourth-largest city in Iran after Tehran, Mashhad and Isfahan. It is situated 20 kilometres (12 mi) west of Tehran, at the foothills of the Alborz mountains.