Uttarakhand

Capital

Dehradun; Gairsain

Official Language

Hindi, Sanskrit

Area

53,483 km²

Districts

13

Largest City

Dehradun

Geography & Nature

Garhwal and Kumaon Himalayan ranges, the upper Ganga and Yamuna basins and foothill plains span alpine to subtropical environments.

• Reported area: 53,483.36 km². Survey of India — Administrative Boundary Data.
• Forest and tree cover: 25,534.97 km²; India State of Forest Report 2023.

Districts & Cities

13 districts listed by the NIC directory on 2026-10-14.

• Major urban centres: Dehradun, Haridwar, Haldwani, Roorkee, Rishikesh.
• Largest city/town: Dehradun. Largest city/town using Census 2011 municipal or town boundaries; urban-agglomeration rankings can differ. Current city names are used.

State Administration

Uttarakhand has a Governor and an elected government led by a Chief Minister. Its legislature has a Legislative Assembly. The capital is Dehradun; Gairsain.

• Dehradun is the winter capital; Bhararisain at Gairsain is the summer capital.
• Principal official language(s): Hindi, Sanskrit. The government language reference provides the administrative language context.

Government Institutions

Government institutions in Uttarakhand include executive departments, district administration, public agencies and local bodies. The official directory provides routes to their published websites.

• The Legislative Assembly provides the elected legislative institution.
• District administrations and municipal or village institutions provide local public services.

People & Demographics

The official MoEFCC profile reports approximately 1.01 crore people on a Census 2011 basis. This is a historical, rounded population figure rather than a current population estimate.

• Principal official language(s): Hindi, Sanskrit.
• The Uttarakhand profile includes both urban communities and rural or island settlements; language and social patterns vary locally.
• Census tables provide the detailed rural/urban, literacy, age and mother-tongue breakdowns.

Economy & Industries

Tourism, pilgrimage services, hydropower, horticulture, pharmaceuticals and manufacturing are important economic activities.

• Economic centres include Dehradun, Haridwar, Haldwani.
• Use the government's economic surveys and departmental publications for dated output, employment and investment figures.

Infrastructure

Mountain roads, foothill railways, regional airports and hydropower systems connect plains and high-altitude settlements.

• Transport, electricity, water and digital networks support public services and economic activity.
• Project status and operational details are published by the responsible government departments and operators.

Education & Healthcare

IIT Roorkee, GB Pant University and state universities are prominent institutions; AIIMS Rishikesh and government medical colleges support healthcare.

• Schools, universities, government hospitals and primary care facilities serve different parts of the region.
• Check the relevant institution or department for current programmes, admissions and services.

Culture & History

Char Dham pilgrimage landscapes, Garhwali and Kumaoni traditions, regional festivals and mountain crafts are cultural highlights.

• Heritage sites, languages, crafts and community traditions vary across districts.
• The official tourism and culture portal provides place-specific information.

Schemes & Public Services

The Uttarakhand government and citizen-service portal provide access to applications, certificates, departmental services and scheme information.

• Common service areas include revenue certificates, welfare applications, education, transport and local-government services; availability varies by portal.
• Open the official service listing for the current application process and requirements.