Quick answerHanoi is the capital of Vietnam, with 8,855,946 people inside the city limits in 2025. The wider metropolitan area had about 19.8 million people in 2025. It is best known for the Temple of Literature, the Hoàn Kiếm Lake and the Old Quarter. Its official language is Vietnamese, and its currency is the Vietnamese đồng.
Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam, with about 8.9 million people in the municipality and about 19.8 million in the metropolitan area (2025). It stands on the Red River in northern Vietnam and is home to the Temple of Literature, Hoàn Kiếm Lake and the Imperial Citadel.
Key facts
| Country | Vietnam |
|---|---|
| Population (city) | 8,855,946 (2025) |
| Population (metro) | 19,795,805 (2025) · Hanoi metropolitan area |
| Time zone | Asia/Ho_Chi_Minh |
| Language | Vietnamese |
| Currency | Vietnamese đồng (VND, ₫) |
| Coordinates | 21° N, 105.85° E |
Overview
Hanoi is the capital and second-most populous city of Vietnam, on the Red River Delta in the north of the country. The municipality covers 3,359.84 square kilometres and had 8,855,946 residents in 2025, while the metropolitan area held 19,795,805 people. The city sits on the Red River, with the Ba Vì mountains rising to the west.
Hanoi was founded in 1010 as Thăng Long, the capital of the Đại Việt kingdom, and it has been the political centre of Vietnam for most of the past thousand years. Its landmarks include the Temple of Literature, the Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long — a UNESCO World Heritage site — and Hoàn Kiếm Lake, with its Turtle Tower. The Old Quarter, with its narrow tube houses and 36 old streets, still trades much as it did centuries ago.
Today Hanoi hosts 83 foreign embassies, the national government and Vietnam National University, and it is the country's second-largest economy after Ho Chi Minh City. Its food is famous across Vietnam, from phở to bún chả, and the city's French colonial villas, lakes and tree-lined boulevards give it a character unlike any other Vietnamese city.
What Hanoi is known for
- Temple of Literature
- Hoàn Kiếm Lake
- Old Quarter
- Imperial Citadel
- Phở and bún chả
- French colonial architecture
Landmarks
- Temple of Literature
- Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long
- Hoàn Kiếm Lake
- Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
- Hanoi Opera House
- St. Joseph's Cathedral
- One Pillar Pagoda
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Hanoi?
About 8.9 million people live in Hanoi (8,855,946 in 2025). The wider metropolitan area had about 19.8 million people. That makes Hanoi the second-most populous city in Vietnam, after Ho Chi Minh City, and one of the oldest capitals in South-East Asia, founded in 1010.
What is Hanoi famous for?
Hanoi is famous for the Temple of Literature, the Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long and Hoàn Kiếm Lake, and for its Old Quarter with 36 old streets. It is also known for its food, above all phở and bún chả, for its lakes and French colonial villas, and as Vietnam's thousand-year-old capital.
Where is Hanoi located?
Hanoi is in northern Vietnam, on the Red River Delta, about 100 kilometres from the Gulf of Tonkin. It is the capital of Vietnam and the centre of the Red River Delta region. Its coordinates are 21.00° N, 105.85° E, and its time zone is Indochina Time.
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Keep exploring
- Vietnam — the country Hanoi is in
- Ho Chi Minh City — another city in Vietnam
- Hai Phong — another city in Vietnam
- Da Nang — another city in Vietnam
- All cities in Vietnam
- All countries — the full list
Sources & last updated
Last updated: . Figures are shown with their year; where sources disagree, the value is left out rather than estimated.