Map of Balkh, Afghanistan

Balkh is a city in Afghanistan, with a population of about 114,883. It lies at 36.7563°N, 66.8972°E. Balkh is about 322 km (200 mi) northwest of Kabul, the capital. The nearest city on our map is Mazār-e Sharīf, 20 km to the east.

Balkh at a glance

Where is Balkh?

• The 8th largest city in Afghanistan by recorded population.
• Located in the Northern and Eastern hemispheres.
• Daylight ranges from about 9 h 38 min on the shortest day to 14 h 41 min on the longest day (around 21 December and 21 June).

Cities near Balkh

• Mazār-e Sharīf — 20 km east
• Tirmiz — 62 km northeast, Uzbekistan
• Khulm — 72 km east
• Shibirghān — 102 km west
• Sar-e Pul — 105 km southwest
• Aībak — 114 km southeast
• Gowurdak — 139 km northwest, Turkmenistan
• Andkhōy — 159 km west
• Kunduz — 175 km east
• Baghlān — 176 km southeast

Largest cities in Balkh

• Mazār-e Sharīf — 523,300
• Khulm — 64,933

Largest cities in Afghanistan

• Kabul — 4,434,550
• Herāt — 574,300
• Kandahār — 523,300
• Mazār-e Sharīf — 523,300
• Jalālābād — 271,900
• Kunduz — 161,902
• Ghazni — 141,000
• Baghlān — 108,449
• Gardez — 103,601
• Khōst — 96,123

Map of Afghanistan and all its cities →

Sources: place names, coordinates, populations and time zones from GeoNames (CC BY 4.0, data retrieved October 2026). Population figures are the latest values recorded in GeoNames; depending on the country they refer to the city proper, a municipality or a wider urban area, so they can differ from census or metro-area figures. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.