Pul-e Khumri

During the 1980s, Puli Khumri was officially granted the status of the capital of Baghlan province in place of the central city of Baghlan. This transition occurred under the influence of Sayed Mansur Naderi, son of Sayed Kayan, who held significant military and political power at the time. The relocation aimed to enhance public access to administrative offices, leveraging Puli Khumri's strategic location along the Kabul-Mazar highway. The cabinet of Mohammad Najibullah, led by Sultan Ali Keshtmand, initially proposed this move through declaration number 492 on March 1, 1989. It was subsequently formalized by Najibullah through decree number 1603 on March 9, 1989. From August 8-10, 1988, there were fires and explosions in the 3704th Ammunition Depot of the 40th Army (Soviet Union), located in the Kelgai Valley near the town. …

Puli Khumri is in a valley by the Kunduz River in northern Afghanistan, about 100 km (60 mi) south of Kunduz, 200 km (120 mi) southeast of Mazar-i-Sharif, and 230 km (140 mi) north of Kabul. It sits at an elevation of approximately 920 m (3,020 ft) above sea level, within the Hindu Kush mountain range. The city is a transit and trading hub in the region. It is connected by the Afghanistan Ring Road with Baghlan to the north, Charikar to the southeast, and Mazar-i-Sharif to the northwest. Puli Khumri has 6 city districts (nahias), covering a land area of 181 km2 (70 sq mi) or 3,752 ha (9,270 acres). Agricultural lands accounted for the largest land use in the city (65%), with the majority of that land in Districts 3, 5, and 6. Districts 1 and 2 had the highest dwelling densities but District 5 is home to the most dwelling units. …

The economy of Puli Khumri is based on agriculture, trade, mining, transport, and textile production. There is at least one major textile factory in the city. Agriculture is very important because of the rain and temperature; wheat, rice, and spices are the main crops. There are two dams in Puli Khumri, which provide the necessary electricity. Electrical transmission lines built from Puli Khumri bring a steady supply of electricity to Kabul. Afghanistan's first cement factory, Ghori I Cement Factory, was built in 1954 in Puli Khumri with financial support from Czechoslovakia. A third plant is under construction since August 2025. The limestone is mined from the hill behind the factory. There is a coal mine outside of the city in the village Kar-kar, but the production system is archaic.

According to Afghanistan's National Statistics and Information Authority, Puli Khumri has an estimated population of 230,112 people. In 2015 there were 24,586 dwelling units in the city.