Karaj, city, capital of Alborz province, north-central Iran. Karaj is a large suburb of Tehrān, which lies about 20 miles (32 km) to the west.
Karaj is situated in the foothills of the Elburz Mountains, and a fertile agricultural plain extends to the south. Although it was a stopping point on the busy trans-Elburz caravan route, the town itself was small until the early 20th century, when the Iranian government made efforts to establish an industrial centre there. The modern city produces steel, automobiles, machinery, textiles, paper, and food products. Pop. (2011) 1,614,626.