Karaj (Persian: کرج - Karaj‎‎ About this sound pronunciation pronounced [kæˈɾædʒ]) is the capital of Karaj County, Alborz Province, Iran. Its population was about 1.61 million in the 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.