Zanjan (Persian: زنجان) is the capital of Zanjan Province in northwestern Iran. It is an azeri/azari inhabited city. It lies 298 km (186 mi) north-west of Tehran on the main highway to Tabriz and Turkey and approximately 125 km (80 mi) from the Caspian Sea. At the 2006 census, its population was 341,801, in 89,829 families.