Hub cities

Mashhad municipality is a governmental organization which was established in 1918 and manages the city. The mayor is the head of this organization who was appointed by state minister previously. Now s/he is appointed by the city council. Mashhad municipality has 13 districts which are managed by the district mayors. It also has 8 departments named:

• Economic Department
  
• Urban Planning Department
  
• Cultural & Social Department
  
• Traffic & Transportation Department
  
• Planning & Developments Department
  
• Administrative & Financial Department
  
• Technical & Constructional Department
  
• Urban Environment & Services Department
  

According to the results of the census in 2006, the population of Mashhad is 2,427,000 . About 43.3 % of the population of Khorasan Razavi province and 3.44% of population of Iran. The population density in different districts of Mashhad 119 persons per hectare.

Distribution of population in the different parts of the city is not equal (the same ) and population density in District 3 and District 4 ( in the northeast of Mashhad ) is over 170 persons per hectare. 

According to the information of the " House and Population Census Office", in 2006, the population of Mashhad in the last three year were : 2,444,016 (2007), 2,488,18 (2008) and 2,535,300 ( 2009). The citizens of Mashhad tend to live ( settle) in the west part of the city.