# List of oldest continuously inhabited cities

This is a list of present-day cities by the time period over which they have been continuously inhabited as a city. The age claims listed are generally disputed. Differences in opinion can result from different definitions of "city" as well as "continuous habitation" and historical evidence is often disputed. Caveats (and sources) to the validity of each claim are discussed in the "Notes" column.

## Africa
### North Africa

| Name | Historical region | Present location | Continuously inhabited since | Notes |
| Girga (as Thinis) | Ancient Egypt | Egypt | c. 3273 BC | Settlement served as the capital of the first Pharaoh of Egypt, Narmer (c. 3273–2987 BC) |
| Faiyum (as Shedet) | Ancient Egypt | Egypt | c. 2181 BC | Settlement established by the Old Kingdom (c. 2686–2181 BC) |
| Luxor (as Waset, better known by its Greek name Thebes) | Ancient Egypt | Egypt | c. 2150 BC | First established as capital of Upper Egypt, Thebes later became the religious capital of the nation until its decline in the Roman period. |
| Aswan (as Swenett) | Ancient Egypt | Egypt | c. 650 BC | Gained prominence in the Late Period (664–332 BC). |
| Benghazi (as Euesperides) | Cyrenaica | Libya | c. 525 BC | Founded in the 5th century BC, by the Greeks. |
| Alexandria | Ancient Egypt | Egypt | 332 BC | Founded by Alexander the Great on the town of Rhacotis, which dates back to the Old Kingdom |

### East Africa

| Name | Historical region | Present location | Continuously inhabited since | Notes |
| Aksum | Kingdom of Axum | Ethiopia | c. 400 BC | Ancient capital of the Kingdom of Axum. |
| Zeila (as Avalites) | Bilad al-Barbar | Somalia | c. 100 AD | Major trading city in the Horn of Africa. |
| Antananarivo | Merina Kingdom | Madagascar | 1610 AD or 1625 AD | Founded by the Merina King Andrianjaka, it is the oldest city in Madagascar. |

### West Africa

| Name | Historical region | Present location | Continuously inhabited since | Notes |
| Gao | Gao Empire, Songhai Empire | Mali | c. 600 AD | Gao-Saney called al-kawkaw, Gaw-Gaw by ancient Arab chroniclers is the first site of Gao, founded in the 7th century, it was the capital of the Gao Empire of Za Dynasty. A marble palace, stelae, houses and cemeteries dating from this period were discovered by archaeologists. The current Gao built on a site near Gao-Saney was the capital of the largest contiguous land Empire of Songhai (1464-1591, destroyed during the invasion of Songhai by the Saadians it is today the regional capital of the Gao regions in Mali. |
| Benin City | Kingdom of Benin | Nigeria | c. 1000 AD | City of Benin, the oldest city in Nigeria. |
| Agadez | Songhai Empire | Niger | 11th century AD | Founded in the 11th century, Agadez was an important stop for caravans crossing the Saharan Desert for centuries. Agadez was captured by the Songhai empire in 1515, and controlled by Bornu in the 17th century. |
| Kano | Kingdom of Kano | Nigeria | 11th century AD | The foundation for the construction of Kano City Walls was laid by Sakri Gijimasu at some point between 1095 and 1134, and was completed in the middle of the 14th century during the reign of Usman Zamnagawa. |
| Timbuktu | Mali Empire, Songhai Empire | Mali | 11th century AD | Settled by Tuareg traders as an outpost, its incorporation into the Mali Empire and Songhai, Mande, and Soninke settlement from the 13th century rapidly developed the town. |
| Cidade Velha (as Ribeira Grande) | Santiago Island | Cape Verde | 1462 AD | The first European settlement in West Africa. |
| Lagos | Kingdom of Benin | Nigeria | 16th century AD | Initially established as a war camp for soldiers from the Kingdom of Benin. |
| Ouidah | Kingdom of Whydah | Benin | 16th century AD | The primary port of the Kingdom of Whydah, originally called Glehue by the Fon inhabitants. The town was conquered by the Kingdom of Dahomey in the 18th century. |

### Central Africa

| Name | Historical region | Present location | Continuously inhabited since | Notes |
| M'banza-Kongo | Kongo Empire | Angola | c. 1390 AD | Capital of the Kongo Empire, founded by the Kongo people in current day Angola. |
| Luanda (as São Paulo da Assunção de Loanda) | Portuguese Empire | Angola | 1576 AD | Founded by Portuguese explorer Paulo Dias de Novais on 25 January 1576 as "São Paulo da Assumpção de Loanda". |

### Southern Africa

| Name | Historical region | Present location | Continuously inhabited since | Notes |
| Cape Town | Dutch East India Company | South Africa | 1652 AD | Founded by Dutch colonists from Dutch East India Company and is the oldest recorded city in South Africa. |

## Americas
### North America

| Name | Historical region | Present location | Continuously inhabited since | Notes |
| Cholula | Old Cholula | Mexico | c. 1000 – c. 500 BC | Pre-Columbian Cholula grew from a small village to a regional center during the 7th century. The city was the site of the Massacre of Cholula during the military campaign of Hernán Cortés. |
| Flores | Maya civilization, then New Spain | Guatemala | 900–600 BC | Formerly Nojpetén, the capital of the Itza kingdom, it has been occupied continuously since prehispanic times. Earliest archaeological traces date back to 900–600 BC, with major expansion of the settlement occurring around 250–400 AD. Ethnohistoric documents claim the founding of Nojpetén in the mid-15th century AD. |
| Izamal | Maya civilization, then New Spain | Mexico | 700–450 BC | Also known as the Yellow City. Small city in the Mexican state of Yucatán, 72 kilometres east of state capital Mérida. Izamal is an important archaeological site of the Pre-Columbian Maya civilization. Continuously occupied until the Spanish Conquest. The most important pre-Hispanic constructive activity occurred during the early and late classical periods. It was partially abandoned with the rise of a group that hailed from Chichen Itza, probably around the final classical period (800–1000 AD). |
| Monte Albán-Zaachila-Oaxaca City | Zapotec civilisation (Otomí people), Mixtec civilisation (Otomí people) | Mexico | 500 BC c. 500 BC | The valley of modern Oaxaca City, founded by the Spanish in 1532, has been continuously inhabited by the Oto-Manguean peoples of Mesoamerica since ancient times. The outskirts of Oaxaca City host the ruins of Monte Albán, once the capital of the Zapotecs for around 1000 years. Although Monte Albán proper was abandoned around 1000 AD, the city of Zaachila next to it rose in its place and was continuously inhabited until the arrival of Europeans. |
| Tututepec | Mixtec civilization | Mexico | c. 400 BCE | First Tututepec settlements date to 400 BCE, the site was nearly abandoned by 800 CE until Eight Deer brought a migration of Mixtecs to the site and made the location the capital of a new empire in 1083 CE, the city persists beyond Spanish conquest in 1522 into present day. |
| Toluca-Calixtlahuaca | Otomí peoples | Mexico | 0400 c. 400 – c. 200 BC | Toluca, in the State of Mexico, has been continuously inhabited at least since the 8th century BC. The oldest sedentary remains (Calixtlahuaca) date from around the 600 BC to 400 BC. |
| Papantla / El Tajín | Totonac people | Mexico | c. 1st century AD | The town of Papantla in the state of Veracruz was founded by the Totonac people around the 13th century AD. The neighboring monumental city of El Tajín was settled around the 1st century AD until it was destroyed around the same time Papantla was founded. |
| Oraibi | Puebloan peoples | United States | c. 1100 AD | |
| Cuernavaca (Cuauhnahuac)-Teopanzolco | Nahuan peoples | Mexico | 1200 AD c. 1200 AD | Founded by the Nahuatl-speaking people of the Valley of Mexico with the name Cuauhnahuac. The ruins of Teopanzolco, now in downtown Cuernavaca, are thought to be the downtown of Cuauhnahuac, which was sieged and occupied by the Spanish in 1521, who renamed it to Cuernavaca. |
| Tucson | Hohokam | United States | c. 1300 AD | Hohokam village founded at the base of Sentinel Peak, later Tohono O'odam. Afterwards, became a Spanish presidio. |
| Mexico City | Mexica culture (Nahuan peoples) | Mexico | 1325 AD | Founded as twin cities Tenōchtitlān (1325) and Tlāltelōlco (1337) by the Mexica. Name changed to Ciudad de México (Mexico City) after the Spanish conquest of the city in 1521. Several other pre-Columbian towns such as Azcapotzalco, Tlatelolco, Xochimilco and Coyoacán have been engulfed by the still growing metropolis and are now part of modern Mexico City. Oldest capital city in the Americas. |
| Santo Domingo | New Spain | Dominican Republic | 1496 AD | Oldest European settlement in the New World. |
| San Juan | New Spain | Puerto Rico | 1508 AD | Oldest continuously inhabited city in a U.S. territory. |
| Nombre de Dios, Colón | New Spain | Panama | 1510 AD | Oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in continental America. |
| Baracoa | New Spain | Cuba | 1511 AD | Oldest European settlement in Cuba. |
| Havana | New Spain | Cuba | 1519 AD | Oldest major city in Cuba, established 1515, granted city status in 1592 by Philip II of Spain as "Key to the New World and Rampart of the West Indies". |
| Veracruz | New Spain | Mexico | 1519 AD | The actual location of the settlement known as Veracruz changed multiple times. Originally established by Hernán Cortés in April 1519 – near where he made landfall – as the Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz, it was moved within a month to Totonac Quiahuiztlan. This location lay further inland and required a long overland trek from the port at San Juan de Ulúa to unload cargo, due to which the settlement was again moved in 1525, this time to the present-day location of La Antigua. Veracruz remained there until 1599, when pressure from mercantile elites in Seville, Mexico City, and Puebla de los Ángeles to relocate the settlement closer to the port to speed and secure trade caused it to be refounded at its present location as Nuevo Veracruz. |
| Panama City | Cueva Civilisation. After European colonisation: New Spain | Panama | 1519 AD | Oldest European settlement on the Pacific. |
| Taxco | New Spain | Mexico | 1529 AD | |
| Compostela | New Spain | Mexico | 1530 AD | |
| Querétaro | New Spain, Otomi people, Purépecha people | Mexico | 1531 AD | |
| Puebla | New Spain | Mexico | 1531 AD | |
| Tepic | New Spain | Mexico | 1531 AD | |
| Culiacán | New Spain | Mexico | 1531 AD | |
| Campeche | New Spain | Mexico | 1540 AD | |
| Morelia | New Spain | Mexico | 1541 AD | |
| Guadalajara | New Spain | Mexico | 1542 AD | |
| Mérida | Maya civilization, New Spain | Mexico | 1542 AD (as the Spanish city) | It was previously known as T'ho by the Maya. |
| Zacatecas | New Spain | Mexico | 1548 AD | |
| Guanajuato | New Spain | Mexico | 1548 AD | |
| Acapulco | New Spain | Mexico | 1550 AD | |
| Cartago | New Spain | Costa Rica | 1563 AD | Oldest continuously inhabited European established settlement in Costa Rica. |
| St. Augustine | New Spain | United States | 1565 AD | Oldest continuously inhabited European-founded city of the current 50 U.S. states. |
| Santa Fe | New Spain | United States | 1607 AD | Oldest continuously inhabited state or territorial capital in the continental United States. |
| Quebec City | New France | Canada | 1608 AD | Oldest city in Canada and oldest French-speaking city in the Americas. |
| St. John's | Newfoundland | Canada | c. 1610 AD | On 5 August 1583, Sir Humphrey Gilbert claimed the area as England's first overseas colony under a royal charter by Queen Elizabeth I. Some claim to being the oldest city in Canada. Incorporated in 1883; inhabited continuously since sometime after 1610. |
| Hopewell | Virginia Company | United States | 1613 AD | Founded as Bermuda City in 1613 and later known as City Point, Virginia, this location has undergone several name changes but has remained continuously inhabited. |
| Albany | New Netherlands | United States | 1614 AD | Followed by Jersey City, New Jersey (Communipaw) in 1617 and New York City (as New Amsterdam) in 1624. (Note: While there was an abandonment in 1617 or 1618 of the Albany settlement, it was re-established within a few years; also, the Jersey City settlement was a factorij or trading post in the 1610s and did not become a "homestead" (bouwerij) until the 1630s. Settlements in New Netherlands sometimes moved around in the early years.) |
| Plymouth | Plymouth Colony | United States | 1620 AD | Fourth-oldest continuously inhabited European-founded city in the United States |
| New York City | New Amsterdam | United States | 1624 AD | Founded in 1624 as New Amsterdam. Was renamed New York City in 1667. Is the 12th oldest continuously occupied European-established settlement in the continental United States |
| Boston | Massachusetts Bay Colony | United States | 1625 AD | Settled in 1625 and established in 1630, the city of Boston, Massachusetts, was established as the capital of the Massachusetts Bay Colony on the Shawmut Peninsula. It is one of the oldest major cities of the United States. Boston was a key city in the early American Revolution against the British Empire, eventually becoming the first city free of British rule in the United States. Boston is still one of the wealthiest and most important cities in the United States. |
| Port Royal-Annapolis Royal | New France | Canada | 1629 AD | Oldest continuously inhabited settlement incorporated as a Town in North America. Initial settlement was 1605, with confirmed continuous settlement since at least 1629. |
| Saint John | New France | Canada | 1631 AD | Oldest incorporated city in Canada. |
| Trois-Rivières | New France | Canada | 1634 AD | Fourth-oldest city in Canada. |
| Montreal | New France | Canada | 1642 AD | Fifth-oldest city in Canada. |
| Sault Ste. Marie | New France | Canada and United States | 1668 AD | A single settlement until 1817, when it was divided into Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada and Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, United States. The latter is the oldest European-founded city in the Midwestern United States and third-oldest US city west of the Appalachian Mountains. |
| Philadelphia | Province of Pennsylvania | United States | 1681 AD | In 1681, King Charles II gave William Penn a large piece of his newly acquired American land holdings to repay a debt the king owed to Admiral Sir William Penn, Penn's father. Afterwards, Penn founded Philadelphia with a core group of accompanying Quakers and others seeking religious freedom on lands he purchased from the local chieftains of the Lenape or Delaware nation. |
| Natchitoches | New France | United States | 1699 AD | Natchitoches was established in 1714 by French explorer Louis Juchereau de St. Denis. It is the oldest permanent European settlement within the borders of the 1803 Louisiana Purchase. Natchitoches was founded as a French outpost on the Red River for trade with Spanish-controlled Mexico; French traders settled there as early as 1699. |
| Detroit | New France | United States | 1701 AD | First European settlement above tidewater in North America. |
| San Antonio | New Spain | United States | 1718 AD | Founded as a Spanish mission and colonial outpost in 1718, the city in 1731 became the first chartered civil settlement in what is now present-day Texas. |
| New Orleans | New France | United States | 1718 AD | Jean Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville in 1718 upon the slightly elevated banks of the Mississippi River approximately 95 miles (153 km) above its mouth. |
| Winnipeg | British America | Canada | 1738 AD | Founded as Fort Rouge. Oldest city in the Canadian Prairies. |
| Charlotte | Province of North Carolina | United States | 1768 AD | Area said to have been pre-colonially settled by the Catawba tribe with records dating back to 1567. |
| San Diego | New Spain | United States | 1769 AD | Birthplace of California and oldest city on the West Coast of the United States. |
| Toronto | Upper Canada | Canada | 1793 AD | Founded as York, Upper Canada. |
| Victoria | Colony of Vancouver Island | Canada | 1843 AD | Oldest city on the West Coast of Canada. |

### South America

| Name | Historical region | Present location | Continuously inhabited since | Notes |
| Cusco | Inca Empire | Peru | c. 1100 AD | The Killke occupied the region from 900 to 1200, prior to the arrival of the Incas in the 13th century. Carbon-14 dating of Sacsayhuamán, the walled complex outside Cusco, has demonstrated that the Killke culture constructed the fortress about 1100. |
| Cumaná | New Granada | Venezuela | 1515 AD | Oldest continuously inhabited, European-established settlement in the continent. |
| Santa Marta | New Granada | Colombia | 1525 AD | Oldest still-inhabited city founded by Spaniards in Colombia. |
| São Vicente, São Paulo | Governorate General of Brazil | Brazil | 1532 AD | First Portuguese city in the Americas. |
| Piura | Peru | Peru | 1532 AD | Oldest European-founded city in Peru. |
| Lima | Peru | Peru | 1535 AD | Second-oldest continuously inhabited European-settled capital city in South America. The oldest being Quito. |
| Vila Velha, Espírito Santo | Governorate General of Brazil | Brazil | 1535 AD | Second-oldest continuously inhabited Portuguese-settled village in South America. The oldest being São Vicente. |
| Cali | New Granada | Colombia | 1536 AD | On 25 July 1536 Belalcázar founded Santiago de Cali, first established a few kilometres north of the present location, near what are now the towns of Vijes and Riofrío. |
| Asuncion | Viceroyalty of Rio de la Plata | Paraguay | 1537 AD | Juan de Salazar y Espinoza, traversing the Paraguay River on his way from Buenos Aires, stopped briefly at a bay in the left bank to resupply his ships. He found the natives friendly, and decided to found a fort there in August 1537. He named it Nuestra Señora Santa María de la Asunción (Our Lady Saint Mary of the Assumption – the Roman Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of the Assumption on August 15). |
| Bogotá | New Granada | Colombia | 1540 AD | The name of Bogotá, is derived from Bacatá, an indigenous area inhabitanted by the native Muisca encompassing what is presently the Colombian capital. |
| Santiago | Captaincy General of Chile | Chile | 1541 AD | Oldest continuously inhabited European established settlement in Chile. |
| Salvador | Governorate General of Brazil | Brazil | 1549 AD | First planned city founded by Portuguese, and first capital of Brazil. |
| Santiago del Estero | Río de la Plata | Argentina | 1553 AD | Oldest continuously inhabited city in Argentina. |
| São Paulo | Governorate General of Brazil | Brazil | 1554 AD | On January 25, 1554, a group of Jesuit missionaries, led by Father Manuel da Nóbrega, settled on a plateau then called Piratininga, where they founded a college dedicated to the evangelization of the Amerindian populations. The name São Paulo, initially São Paulo dos Campos de Piratininga, was given to it because it was the day dedicated to the apostle with that name. |

## Asia
### West Asia

| Name | Historical region | Present location | Continuously inhabited since | Notes |
| Aleppo | Levant | Syria | c. 5000 BC | The site of Aleppo may have been inhabited since the 6th millennium BC. |
| Byblos | Levant | Lebanon | c. 5000 BC | Inhabited since Neolithic times, it has been closely linked to the legends and history of the Mediterranean region for thousands of years. Byblos is also directly associated with the history and diffusion of the Phoenician alphabet. |
| Damascus | Levant | Syria | c. 3000 BC | Excavations on the outskirts of the city have revealed evidence of inhabitation as early as 8000 to 10,000 BC. |
| Jerusalem | Levant | Israel and Palestine | c. 3000 BC | The Execration Texts (c. 19th century BC), which refer to a city called rwš3lmm, variously transcribed as Rušalimum/Urušalimum/Rôsh-ramen and the Amarna letters (c. 14th century BC) may be the earliest mention of the city. Nadav Na'aman argues its fortification as the centre of a kingdom dates to around the 18th century BC. |
| Jenin | Levant | Palestine | c. 2450 BC | Jenin's history goes back to 2450 BC, when it was built by the Canaanites. After 1244, Jenin flourished economically because of its location on the trade route, until a major earthquake completely destroyed the city. |
| Hama | Levant | Syria | c. 2400 BC | |
| Erbil | Mesopotamia | Iraq | c. 2300 BC | The Citadel of Erbil is a fortified settlement in Erbil, Iraq. The city corresponds to the ancient Assyrian city of Arbela. Settlement at Erbil can be dated back to possibly 6000 BC, but not urban life until c. 2300. |
| Ankara | Anatolia | Turkey | c. 2000 BC | The oldest settlements in and around the city center of Ankara belonged to the Hattic civilization which existed during the Bronze Age. |
| Jaffa | Levant | Israel | c. 2000 BC | Archaeological evidence shows habitation from 7500 BC. |
| Acre | Levant | Israel | c. 2000 BC | There were initial settlements in the Acre area dated around 3000 BC. |
| Jableh | Levant | Syria | 2nd millennium BC | There were initial settlements in the area of Jableh, such as Tell Sukas, dated between the 6th-7th millennium BC, and Tell Tweini. |
| Beirut | Levant | Lebanon | c. 2000 – c. 1800 BC |
| Latakia | Syria | Syria | 2nd millennium BC | In the 2nd millennium BC, the city was the Canaanite port of Ramitha; it was part of the Kingdom of Ugarit, only a few miles further north. |
| Dumat al-Jandal | Al-Jawf | Saudi Arabia | c. 1000 BC | It was named after Dumah, son of Ishmael and was the capital city of the Qedarite Kingdom. |
| Eskişehir | Anatolia | Turkey | c. 1000 BC | The city was founded by the Phrygians in at least 1000 BC, although it has been estimated to be older than 4,000 years old. Many Phrygian artifacts and sculptures can still be found in the city's archeological museum. |
| Gaza | Levant | Palestine | c. 1000 BC | While evidence of habitation dates back at least 5,000 years, it is said to be continuously inhabited for a little more than 3,000 years. |
| Hebron | Levant | Palestine | Iron Age | |
| Jericho | Levant | Palestine | early 1st millennium BC | Traces of habitation from c. 9000 BC. Fortifications date to 6800 BC (or earlier), making Jericho the earliest known walled city. Archaeological evidence indicates that the city was destroyed and abandoned several times (sometimes remaining uninhabited for hundreds of years at a time), with later rebuilding and expansion. |
| Medina | Hejaz | Saudi Arabia | 9th century BC | Medina has been inhabited at least 1500 years before the Hijra. |
| Vani | Colchis | Georgia | before 8th century BC |
| Hamadan (Ecbatana) | Media | Iran | c. 800 BC | The capital city of the Median Empire. |
| Yerevan | Yerevan | Armenia | 782 BC | Founded as Erebuni Fortress by the Urartians and most likely inhabited continuously thereafter; though, historical sources from the 5th century BC to the 7th century AD are lacking. Alternatively, it was founded in 3000 BC (Shengavit Settlement). |
| Tabriz | Media | Iran | 714 B.C. | An important and prosperous city along the silk road, it was made the capital city several times during various periods under various ruling dynasties of the region. |
| Istanbul (as Byzantion) | Thrace, Anatolia | Turkey | 685 BC Anatolia; 660 BC Thrace | Founded as a colony of Megara. Neolithic site dated to 6400 BC, over port of Lygos by Thracians c. 1150 BC. |
| Kutaisi | Colchis | Georgia | 6th to 4th century BC | Archaeological evidence indicates that the city functioned as the capital of the kingdom of Colchis in the sixth to fifth centuries BC. |
| Bosra | Levant | Syria | c. 500 BC | |

### Central and South Asia

| Name | Historical region | Present location | Continuously inhabited since | Notes |
| Multan | Punjab | Pakistan | 3000–2800 BC | Perhaps the oldest city in Central and South Asia. Also known as Mulasthana or Kashyapapura, this city was founded by Kashyapa, according to Hindu Puranas. The region is home to numerous archaeological sites dating to the era of the Early Harappan period of the Indus Valley Civilisation. |
| Kandahar | Arachosia | Afghanistan | 3000–1500 BC | Perhaps the oldest city in Afghanistan. Mundigak is an important archeological site and is located in the present day Kandahar Province. |
| Balkh | Bactria | Afghanistan | 2000-1000 BC | It was considered a major stop on the Silk Road as well as the birthplace of Zoroastrianism and was a major hub for Buddhism. Arab conquerors have called it Umm-al-belad, mother of cities. |
| Delhi | Indraprastha | India | 1200–900 BC | Established as the ancient city of Indraprastha c. 1200 – c. 900 BC, the later capital of the Kuru empire (after Hastinapura) by the ruling Kuru dynasty, over the Upper Ganges-Yamuna doabs of Northern India. |
| Varanasi | Kashi | India | c. 1200 BC | Oldest continuously inhabited city in India. Finds its mention in Ancient Vedas. |
| Sayram | Transoxiana | Kazakhstan | 1000 BC | Oldest continuously inhabited city in Kazakhstan. The city of Sayram is believed by some historians to have been mentioned in the Avesta, with Sairima possibly meaning Sayram. Evidence of an early plumbing system has been found around Sayram and Transoxiana. |
| Dushanbe | Achaemenid | Tajikistan | 1000 BC | Bronze Age burials were discovered dating from the end of the second to the beginning of the first millennium BC. Achaemenid dishes and ceramics were found 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) east of Dushanbe in Qiblai, as the city was controlled by the Achaemenids from the sixth century BC. |
| Samarkand | Sogdia | Uzbekistan | 800–500 BC | Oldest continuously inhabited city in Uzbekistan. |
| Ujjain | Malwa | India | c. 600 BC | Rose to prominence in c. 600 BC as capital of Avanti. |
| Peshawar | Gandhara | Pakistan | 539 BC | One of the oldest cities of Pakistan. |
| Bukhara | Sogdia | Uzbekistan | c. 500 BC | Bhukara was an important Central Asian hub on the Silk Road. The name dates back to the Sanskrit word vihāra, or Buddhist monastery. The city was known for its many madrasas and was the center of the Khanate of Bhukara, which dominated modern day Uzbekistan. |
| Patna (Pataliputra) | Haryanka dynasty of Magadha | India | 490 BC | The city of Pataliputra was formed by fortification of a village by Haryanka ruler Ajatashatru, son of Bimbisara. |
| Sialkot (Sagala) | Punjab | Pakistan | 4th century BC | The first record of Sialkot dates from the invasion of Alexander the Great, who conquered upper Punjab in 326 BCE. |
| Anuradhapura | Kingdom of Rajarata | Sri Lanka | 4th century BC | |
| Madurai | Pandyan Kingdom | India | 3rd century BC | Carbon dating evidences of artefacts found at Vaigai Civilisation are found to be from 3rd century BCMegasthenes may have visited Madurai during the 3rd century BC, with the city referred as "Methora" in his accounts. The view is contested by some scholars who believe "Methora" refers to the north Indian city of Mathura, as it was a large and established city in the Mauryan Empire. |
| Tiruchirappalli | Chola | India | At least from 200 BCE. | Currently a major city in Tamil Nadu |
| Guwahati | Pragjyotishpura | India | 2nd century BC | The Ambari excavations trace the time period of the city of Guwahati between the 2nd century BCE and the 1st century CE, in the Shunga-Kushana period of Indian history. |
| Bamyan | Bactria | Afghanistan | 1st century AD | |
| Lahore | Punjab | Pakistan | c. 1-7th century AD | The origin of Lahore can be traced back somewhere between 1st and 7th centuries A.D. One of the oldest cities of South Asia. The first document that mentions Lahore by name is the Hudud al-'Alam ("The Regions of the World"), written by an unknown author in 982 AD. |
| Kathmandu-Lalitpur, Nepal | Nepal | Nepal | 2nd century AD | The epigraphically attested history of Kathmandu valley begins in the 2nd century. |

### East Asia

| Name | Historical region | Present location | Continuously inhabited since | Notes |
| Yanshi, Henan (Erlitou Site) | Xia dynasty | China | c. 1900 BC | |
| Luoyang (as Xibo, Luoyi, Zhongguo, Henan, Dongdu, Shendu) | Shang dynasty | China | c. 1600 BC | |
| Handan | Jin, Zhao | China | c. 1080 BC | |
| Beijing (as Ji, Youzhou, Fanyang, Yanjing, Zhongdu, Dadu) | Ji, Yan | China | c. 1045 BC | Paleolithic Homo sapiens lived in the caves from about 27,000 to 10,000 years ago. |
| Zibo (as Yingqiu, Linzi, Qiling, Zichuan, Boping) | Qi | China | c. 1045 BC | The Lord of Qi, Jiang Ziya, set the capital of his manor at Yingqiu (营丘), which is today's Linzi District. |
| Jingzhou (as Jinan, Yingdu, Jiangling, Jingsha, Nanjun) | Chu | China | c. 689 BC | |
| Weinan (as Dongfu) | Qin | China | c. 668 BC | |
| Hefei (as Luyi, Ruyin, Luzhou, Hezhou, Lujiang) | Zhou dynasty | China | c. 650 BC | The Viscount of Lu was asked to set the capital of his manor at Luyi (庐邑), which is in the north of today's downtown Hefei. |
| Suzhou (as Gusu, Wu, Pingjiang) | Wu | China | 514 BC | |
| Taiyuan (as Jinyang) | Jin | China | c. 497 BC | |
| Nanjing (as Yecheng, Moling, Jianye, Jiankang, Jinling, Yingtian, Jiangning) | Wu | China | c. 495 BC | Fu Chai, Lord of the State of Wu, founded a fort named Yecheng (冶城) in today's Nanjing area. |
| Chengdu | Shu | China | c. 400 BC | The 9th Kaiming king of the ancient Shu moved his capital to the city's current location from today's nearby Pixian. |
| Changsha (as Linxiang, Xiangzhou, Tanzhou, Tianlin) | Chu | China | c. 365 BC | |
| Kaifeng (as Daliang, Bianzhou, Dongjing, Bianjing) | Wei | China | c. 364 BC | The State of Wei founded a city called Daliang (大梁) as its capital in this area. |
| Chongqing | Ba | China | c. 316 BC | |
| Liaoyang (as Xiangping, Changping, Liaodong, Pingzhou, Liaozhou, Dongdu, Dongjing) | Yan | China | c. 279 BC | |
| Guangzhou (as Panyu) | Qin dynasty | China | 214 BC | Some traditional Chinese histories placed Nanwucheng's founding during the reign of Ji Yan, king of Zhou from 314 to 256 BC. It was said to have consisted of little more than a stockade of bamboo and mud. |
| Hangzhou (as Lin'an, Yuhang, Qiantang) | Qin dynasty | China | c. 200 BC | The city of Hangzhou was founded about 2,200 years ago during the Qin dynasty. |
| Kashgar | Shule Kingdom | China | 2nd century BC | The city of Kashgar was the capital of the Iranic Shule Kingdom and served as a major hub of the Silk Road. |
| Pyeongyang (as Wanggeom-seong) | Gojoseon | North Korea | 194 BC | Built as the capital city of Gojoseon in 194 BC. |
| Gyeongju | Silla | South Korea | 57 BC | Built as the capital city of Silla in 57 BC. |
| Seoul (as Wiryeseong) | Baekje | South Korea | 18 BC | Built as the capital city of Baekjae in 18 BC. |
| Osaka (as Osumi) | Japan | Japan | 390 AD | It was inhabited as early at the 6th–5th centuries BC, and became a port city during the Kofun period. It temporarily served as the capital of Japan from 645 to 655. |
| Nara (as Heijō) | Japan | Japan | 708 AD | Built in 708 and became the capital city in 710 as Heijō-kyō. |
| Kyoto (as Heian, and sometimes known in the west as Miyako) | Japan | Japan | 710 AD | Shimogamo Shrine was built in the 6th century, but the city was officially founded as Heian in 710 and became the capital city in 794 as Heian-kyō. |

### Southeast Asia

| Name | Historical region | Present location | Continuously inhabited since | Notes |
| Hanoi | Âu Lạc | Vietnam | 257 BC | In 257 BC, after defeating the last Hùng king, An Dương Vương merged Văn Lang and Nam Cương in to Âu Lạc and set the capital at Cổ Loa citadel, nowadays Đông Anh district of Hanoi. It was also mentioned as Tống Bình in 454 AD and the Đại La citadel was built in 767 during the reign of Emperor Daizong of Tang. Ly Cong Uan then renamed it Thăng Long in 1010. |
| Huế | Lâm Ấp | Vietnam | 192 AD | Huế was built under the name Kandarpapura and used for about 1 century from the beginning of the 4th century to the end of the 4th century (after 380) during the period when Hinayana Buddhism (Thevarada) and Hinduism heavily influenced Lâm Ấp. |
| Jakarta | Tarumanagara | Indonesia | 417 AD | The present area of Jakarta is continuously inhabited as recorded in stone inscription at least since the 5th century CE. According to the 5th century Tugu inscription, the coastal lands in present day Tugu village in North Jakarta, was settled as the capital of Tarumanagara kingdom. The city is continuously inhabited later as Sunda Kelapa, the harbour of Sunda Kingdom (7th century to 1527), as Jayakarta (1527–1619), Dutch port city of Batavia (1610–1942), and Jakarta (1942–today). |
| Pyay | Pyu city-states | Myanmar | 638 AD | Much debate surrounds the construction of Sri Ksetra. Htin Aung suggests that Pyu might have been founded in 78 CE, based on the Sanskrit / Pyu Era. D. G. E. Hall and Gordon Luce, however, claim that civilisation of the Irrawaddy Valley could not have been possible before the 4th century, thus, attributing the founding of Sri Ksetra to 638, from which the current Burmese Kawza Era begins. |
| Palembang | Srivijaya | Indonesia | 683 AD | Believed to be the oldest city in the Malay realm, capital of the Srivijaya empire. According to Kedukan Bukit inscription Jayanasa established Srivijaya kingdom in Palembang area. |
| Luang Prabang | Muang Sua | Laos | 698 AD | |
| Yogyakarta | Mataram Kingdom | Indonesia | 732 AD | The historic realm of Mataram of Southern Central Java region, which corresponds to today Yogyakarta city and its surrounding has its root in 8th century Mataram Kingdom. According to Canggal inscription dated 732, the area traditionally known as "Mataram" became the capital of the Medang Kingdom, identified as Mdang i Bhumi Mataram established by King Sanjaya. The city reestablished again as the capital of Mataram Sultanate in 1587, and Yogyakarta Sultanate in 1755. |
| Malang | Kanjuruhan Kingdom | Indonesia | 740 AD | According to Dinoyo inscription, Malang in the past known as Kanjuruhan kingdom and badut temple dated 740 AD but the city itself established older than the temple and inscription. Today Malang Raya or Malang city is the 2nd largest city and metro area in east Java. |
| Nakhon Si Thammarat | Tambralinga | Thailand | 775 AD | An inscription was found at Wat Sema Muang that bore: The king of Srivijaya "had established a foothold on the Malay Peninsula at Ligor" by 775, where he "built various edifices, including a sanctuary dedicated to the Buddha and to the Bodhisattvas Padmapani and Vajrapani."$^{:84–85,91}$ |
| Siem Reap | Khmer Empire | Cambodia | 801 AD | Capital of the Khmer Empire. |
| Lamphun | Hariphunchai | Thailand | 896 AD | |
| Magelang | Mataram | Indonesia | 907 AD | Magelang was established on 11 April 907. Magelang was then known as a village called Mantyasih, which is now known as Meteseh. |
| Hưng Yên | Tĩnh Hải quân | Vietnam | 966 AD | Set as the temporary capital of area controlled by warlord Phạm Bạch Hổ during the Anarchy of the 12 Warlords |
| Hoa Lư | Đại Cồ Việt | Vietnam | 968 AD | After reunifying Vietnam and ending the anarchy of the 12 warlords, Đinh Bộ Lĩnh was crowned Emperor of Đại Cồ Việt and set the capital at Hoa Lư. The city lies in a mountainous area and had a defensive position that contributed to the victory of Đại Cồ Việt against the Song dynasty of China. |
| Bandar Seri Begawan | Po-ni and Bruneian Empire | Brunei | 977 AD | Oldest city in Borneo. |
| Butuan | Rajahnate of Butuan | Philippines | 1001 AD | Oldest continuously inhabited city in Mindanao. |
| Bắc Ninh | Đại Cồ Việt | Vietnam | 1009 AD | In 1009, Cổ Pháp village was converted into the city of Thiên Đức, nowadays Bắc Ninh city. |
| Kediri | Kediri Kingdom | Indonesia | 1042 AD | Along with changes in name, it is essentially a union of the two capitals of Panjalu Kingdom and Janggala Kingdom. The settlements are always interspersed along both banks of Brantas River. Administratively, the Government of Indonesia divides Kediri into two political entities, Kediri Regency and the Town of Kediri which is located in the middle of the regency. Nevertheless, archaeological remains exist beyond administrative boundaries and settlements often spread disregarding administrative boundaries between both entities. |
| Yangon | Konbaung dynasty | Myanmar | 1043 AD | Yangon was founded as Dagon in the early 11th century (circa 1028–1043) by the Mon but was renamed to "Yangon" after King Alaungpaya conquered Dagon. |
| Surabaya | Janggala Kingdom | Indonesia | 1045 AD$^{:147}$ | The port city of Janggala or Hujung Galuh was one of the two Javanese capital city that was formed when Airlangga abdicated his throne in 1045 in favour of his two sons.$^{:147}$ The Kingdom of Janggala comprised the northeastern part of the Kingdom of Kahuripan. The other Kingdom was Kediri. Derived its name from the words "suro" (shark) and "boyo" (crocodile), two creatures which are in a local myth. |
| Singapore | Kingdom of Singapura | Singapore | 1170 AD | |
| Sukhothai | Lavo Kingdom | Thailand | 1180 AD | |
| Singhapala | Rajahnate of Cebu | Philippines | c. 1300 AD | Ancient city founded by Sri Rajahmura Lumaya or Sri Lumay, a half Tamil Chola prince. Now part of Barangay Mabolo in Northern district of Cebu City. |
| Banda Aceh | Aceh Sultanate | Indonesia | 1205 AD | Originally named Kutaraja, which means "City of the King". |
| Manila | Tondo and Rajahnate of Maynila | Philippines | 1258 AD | A settlement in the Manila area already existed by the year 1258. This settlement was ruled by Rajah Avirjirkaya whom described as a "Majapahit Suzerain". This settlement was attacked by a Bruneian commander named Rajah Ahmad, who defeated Avirjirkaya and established Manila as a "Muslim principality". By 1570, when the Spanish, led by Miguel López de Legazpi, arrived, it was still inhabited and led by at least one Lakan and several Rajahs. |
| Nam Định | Đại Việt | Vietnam | 1262 AD | In 1262, Tức Mặc village was converted into the city of Thiên Trường, nowadays Nam Định city. |
| Chiang Rai | Ngoenyang | Thailand | 1262 AD | |
| Chiang Mai | Lanna Kingdom | Thailand | 1294 AD or 1296 AD | Mangrai founded Chiang Mai in 1294 or 1296$^{:209}$ on a site that the Lawa people called Wiang Nopburi. |
| Taungoo | Pagan Kingdom | Myanmar | 1279 AD | Taungoo was founded in 1279 in the waning days of Pagan as part of frontier expansion southwards. |
| Sagaing | Sagaing Kingdom | Myanmar | 1315 AD | Sagaing was the capital of Sagaing Kingdom (1315-1364), one of the minor kingdoms that rose up after the fall of Pagan dynasty, where one of Thihathu's sons, Athinkhaya, established himself.$^{:227}$ |
| Ayutthaya | Ayutthaya Kingdom | Thailand | 1350 AD | Derived its name from the holy Hindu city of Ayodhya, it was the capital city of Siam from 1350 until 1767. |
| Muar | Majapahit | Malaysia | 1361 AD | |
| Phnom Penh | Khmer Empire | Cambodia | 1372 AD | |
| Malacca | Malacca Sultanate | Malaysia | 1396 | |
| Bangkok | Ayutthaya Kingdom | Thailand | Early 15th century AD | The history of Bangkok dates at least back to the early 15th century, when it was a village on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River, under the rule of Ayutthaya. |
| Hải Dương | Đại Việt | Vietnam | 1469 AD | |
| Hội An | Đại Việt | Vietnam | 1471 AD | |
| Bogor | Sunda Kingdom | Indonesia | 1482 AD | |

## Europe

| Name | Historical region/period | Present location | Continuously inhabited since | Notes |
| Plovdiv | Neolithic Europe, Iron Age Europe | Bulgaria | 6000 BC | Evidence of continuous settlement since 6000 BC. Later a Thracian settlement in the Iron Age. In the 4th century BC, Philipopolis (Plovdiv) emerged as a city, founded as such by Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great. |
| Argos | Neolithic Europe, Mycenaean Greece | Greece | 5000 BC | The city has been continuously inhabited mostly as an urban settlement for 7,000 years. Recorded history begins in mid 2nd millennium BC. |
| Athens | Mycenaean Greece | Greece | 5th–4th millennia BC | Oldest recorded history begins at least from 1600 BC, making it the oldest European capital city. |
| Thebes | Mycenaean Greece | Greece | c. 5000 BC | |
| Larisa | Mycenaean Greece | Greece | c. 4000–5000 BC | According to archaeological excavations, inhabited continuously from Early Bronze Age. |
| Shkodra | Illyria | Albania | 2250–2000 BC | Continuously inhabited since the Early Bronze Age, an urban settlement called Skodra was founded by Illyrians in the 4th century BC and fortified in moenia aeacia style, it became the capital of the Illyrian kingdom under the Ardiaei and Labeatae and was one of the most important cities of the Balkans in ancient times. |
| Chania | Crete | Greece | c. 1700–1500 BC | Minoan foundation as Kydonia. |
| Nafplio | Mycenaean Greece | Greece | Early 14th century BC | Mentioned as Nuplija, the port of Mycenae, in the "Aegean List" of the Mortuary Temple of Amenhotep III, early 14th century BC. |
| Cádiz | Phoenicia | Spain | c. 1100 BC | Founded as Gadir by the Phoenicians. |
| Matera | Prehistoric Italy | Italy | c. 1000 BC | According to Leonardo A. Chisena, the area was first settled in the Palaeolithic (10th millennium BC). According to Anne Parmly Toxey, Matera has been "occupied continuously for at least three millennia". |
| Derbent | Caucasus | Russia | 8th century BC | Continuously inhabited since the 8th century BC, it was a part of Caucasian Albania that became a satrap of the Persian Achaemenid Empire. |
| Lisbon | Lusitania | Portugal | 8th century BC | Roman city of Olisipo. Phoenician settlement since as early as 1200 BC. |
| Málaga | Phoenicia | Spain | 8th century BC | Founded as Málaka by the Phoenicians. |
| Mdina | Antiquity Malta | Malta | 8th century BC | Founded as Phoenician Melite. |
| Rome | Latium | Italy | c. 753 BC | The traditional founding date is 753 BC. Archaeology shows that the site has been inhabited since c. 1200 – c. 1000 BC, with urbanisation beginning around the mid-eighth century BC. |
| Reggio di Calabria (as Rhegion) | Magna Graecia | Italy | 743 BC | |
| Catania (as Katane) | Sicily, Magna Graecia | Italy | 729 BC | Built at the foot of Mount Etna, the city has a seismic history and it was destroyed several times by earthquakes or by eruptions and lava flows; but every time it was rebuilt again. For this reason, Catania adopted the symbol of the Phoenix and the Latin motto Melior de cinere surgo (I rise from my ashes in a better state than before). |
| Corfu (city) (as Kerkyra) | Corfu | Greece | c. 709 BC. | Founded as a colony of the Greek city of Corinth |
| Istanbul (as Byzantion) | Thrace, Anatolia | Turkey | 685 BC Anatolia; 660 BC Thrace | Founded as a colony of Megara; Neolithic site dated to 6400 BC, over port of Lygos by Thracians c. 1150 BC. |
| Syracuse | Sicily | Italy | ca. 680-675 BC (traditionally 734 BC) | A colony of the Greek city of Corinth. |
| Naples | Magna Graecia | Italy | c. 680 BC | Actually the date at which an older settlement close by, called Parthenope, was founded by settlers from Cumae. This eventually merged with Neapolis proper, which was founded c. 470 BC. |
| Durrës | Illyria | Albania | 627–625 BC | Founded as the Greek colony of Epidamnos in cooperation with the local Illyrian Taulantii. |
| Sozopol | Thrace | Bulgaria | 610 BC | Founded by Milesian colonists around 610 BC, was named Apollonia Pontica in honour of the patron deity of Miletus – Apollo. The Ancient authors identify the philosopher named Anaximander as the founder of the city. |
| Kerch | Crimea | Ukraine | c. 610 BC | Founded as an Ancient Greek colony known as Panticapaeum. |
| Marseille (as "Massalia) | Gaul | France | 600 BC | Founded as a colony of the Greek city of Phocaea. |
| Constanța | Dobruja | Romania | c. 600 BC | Founded as the Greek colony of Tomis. |
| Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi | Budjak | Ukraine | 6th century BC | Founded as an Ancient Greek colony of Tyras. |
| Nesebar | Thrace | Bulgaria | beginning of the 6th century BC | Originally a Thracian settlement, known as Mesembria, the town became a Greek colony when settled by Dorians from Megara at the beginning of the 6th century BC, then known as Mesembria. It was an important trading centre from then on and a rival of Apollonia (Sozopol). It remained the only Dorian colony along the Black Sea coast, as the rest were typical Ionian colonies. At 425–424 BC the town joined the Delian League, under the leadership of Athens. |
| Mangalia | Dobruja | Romania | middle or end of the 6th century BC | Founded as the Greek colony of Callatis by the city of Heraclea Pontica. The Greek colony was likely developed on the site of an earlier Getic settlement named Acervetis or Carbatis. |
| Varna | Thrace | Bulgaria | 585–570 BC | Founded as Odessos by settlers from the Greek city of Miletus. |
| Sofia | Moesia | Bulgaria | 4th century BC | Celtic foundation as Serdica. Habitation in the area since 7000 BC, |
| Lezhë | Illyria | Albania | 4th century BC | Founded by Illyrians in the 4th century BC as an urban settlement with the name Lissos, it became an important city in the Illyrian kingdom under the Ardiaei and Labeatae.$^{:177}$ |
| Stara Zagora | Thrace | Bulgaria | 342 BC | It was called Beroe in ancient times and was founded by Philip II of Macedon although a Thracian settlement neolithic inhabitation have been discovered as well. It also has the oldest copper mines in Europe (5th millennium BC) |
| Thessaloniki | Macedonia (ancient kingdom) | Greece | 315 BC | Founded as a new city in the same place of the older city Therme. |
| Berat | Illyria | Albania | 4th century BC | Founded by Illyrians or Cassander of Macedon as Antipatreia. |
| Belgrade | Illyria | Serbia | 279 BC | The present day territory of Belgrade continuously inhabited for more than 7000 years. Proto-urban Vinča culture prospered around Belgrade in the 6th millennium BC. The fortified city of Belgrade founded around 279 BC as Singidunum. |
| Braga | Lusitania | Portugal | c. 16-15 BC | Bracara Augusta was founded in 16-15 BC under the order of the emperor Augustus. |
| Strasbourg | Germania Superior | France | 12 BC | First official mention as the Roman camp of Argentoratum. The area had been populated since the Middle Paleolithic. |
| Colchester | Britain | United Kingdom | 20-10 BC | Considered to be the oldest recorded town in the United Kingdom. First British town to be given the status Colonia in the Roman empire, where it was known as Camulodunum and was recorded by Pliny the Elder. The Celtic name of the city, Camulodunon appears on coins minted by tribal chieftain Tasciovanus in the period 20–10 BC. Before the Roman conquest of Britain, it was already a centre of power for Celtic king Cunobeline. |

## Oceania

| Name | Historical region | Present location | Continuously inhabited since | Notes |
| Sydney | New South Wales | Australia | 1788 AD | Oldest city in Australia. Radiocarbon dating suggests human activity occurred in and around Sydney for at least 30,000 years, in the Upper Paleolithic period. However, numerous Aboriginal stone tools found in Sydney's far western suburbs' gravel sediments were dated to be from 45,000 to 50,000 years BP, which would mean that humans could have been in the region earlier than thought, although they lived exclusively as hunter-gatherer tribes until the early British colonial period. The first people to occupy the Sydney region were an Indigenous Australian group called the Eora. |
| Hobart | Tasmania | Australia | 1803 AD | Second-oldest city in Australia. Prior to British settlement, the area had been occupied for at least 8,000 years, but possibly for as long as 35,000 years, by the semi-nomadic Mouheneener tribe, a sub-group of the Nuennone, or South-East tribe. |
| George Town | Tasmania | Australia | 1804 AD | Third-oldest city in Australia. |
| Newcastle | New South Wales | Australia | 1804 AD | Fourth-oldest city in Australia. |
| Launceston | Tasmania | Australia | 1806 AD | Fifth-oldest city in Australia. |
| Kerikeri | Northland | New Zealand | c. 1818 AD | Oldest European-founded settlement in New Zealand. |
| Levuka | Kubuna | Fiji | 1820 | Oldest European settlement in Fiji. |
| Bluff | Southland | New Zealand | 1824 AD | Previously known as Campbelltown, the oldest European-founded settlement in the South Island. |
| Brisbane | Queensland | Australia | 1825 AD | Oldest city in Northern Australia, State Capital. |
| Albany | Western Australia | Australia | 1826 AD | Oldest city on the West Coast of Australia. |
| Perth | Western Australia | Australia | 1829 AD | The area had been inhabited by the Whadjuk Noongar people for over 40,000 years, as evidenced by archaeological findings on the Upper Swan River. |
| Melbourne | Victoria | Australia | 1835 AD | Before the arrival of European settlers, the area was occupied for an estimated 31,000 to 40,000 years. At the time of European settlement, it was inhabited by under 20,000 hunter-gatherers from three indigenous regional tribes: the Wurundjeri, Boonwurrung and Wathaurong. |
| Kingscote | South Australia | Australia | 1836 AD | First official European settlement in South Australia, Australia's first free settled colony. Situated on Kangaroo Island, it was occupied by an Aboriginal group from as long as 16,000 years ago until their disappearance 2,000–4,000 years ago. |
| Adelaide | South Australia | Australia | 1836 AD | State Capital of South Australia, Australia's first free settled colony. European settlement began in 1836. |
| Geelong | Victoria | Australia | 1838 AD | The second-largest city in Victoria. |
| Wellington | Wellington Region | New Zealand | 1839 AD | New Zealand's capital city from 1865 until the present day. |
| Auckland | Auckland Region | New Zealand | 1840 AD | New Zealand's capital city from 1841 to 1865. Prior to this, it was inhabited by Māori from about the 14th century. |
| Dunedin | Otago Region | New Zealand | 1848 AD | First New Zealand centre to be officially named a city (1865). Briefly the country's largest settlement. |
| Bendigo | Victoria | Australia | 1851 AD | Fourth-largest city in Victoria. |
| Darwin | Northern Territory | Australia | 1869 AD | Territory Capital. |
| Canberra | Australian Capital Territory | Australia | 1913 AD | Capital city of Australia. Artifacts suggests early human activity occurred at some point in Canberra dating at around 21,000 years ago. |