| Itahari | |
| Native Name: | ईटहरी |
| Settlement Type: | Sub-Metropolitan City |
| Motto: | "Clean, Green and Commercial City". |
| Flag Size: | 150px |
| Mapsize: | 300 |
| Pushpin Map: | Koshi#Nepal |
| Pushpin Label Position: | bottom |
| Pushpin Mapsize: | 300 |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of Itahari in Koshi Province |
| Coordinates: | 26.6631°N 87.2744°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: |  Nepal |
| Subdivision Type2: | Province |
| Subdivision Name2: | Koshi |
| Subdivision Type3: | District |
| Subdivision Name3: | Sunsari |
| Subdivision Type4: | Wards |
| Subdivision Name4: | 20 |
| Established Title: | Settled |
| Established Date: | - |
| Government Type: | Mayor-council |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Hem Karna Paudel(Congress) |
| Leader Title1: | Deputy Mayor |
| Leader Name1: | Sangita Kumari Chaudhary(UML) |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Total Km2: | 93.78 |
| Population As Of: | 2021 |
| Population Total: | 198,098 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Population Rank: | 9th (Nepal) 2nd (Province No. 1) |
| Demographics Type1: | Languages |
| Demographics1 Title1: | Official |
| Demographics1 Info1: | Nepali |
| Population Blank1 Title: | Ethnicities |
| Population Blank1: | Bahun, Chhetri, Tamang, Limbu, Rai, Tharu, Magars, Newars, |
| Timezone: | NST |
| Utc Offset: | +5:45 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal Code |
| Postal Code: | 56705 |
| Area Code: | 025 |
| Blank Name: | Climate |
| Blank Info: | Cwa |
Itahari (Nepali: ईटहरी) is a sub-metropolitan city in the Sunsari District of Koshi Province in Nepal. Itahari city has grown as an important business hub of eastern Nepal. It is the second most populous city in eastern Nepal after Biratnagar. Situated 25 kilometres north of the provincial capital of Biratnagar, 16 kilometres south of Dharan and 92 kilometres west of Kakarbhitta, Itahari serves as a junction point of the east-west Mahendra Highway and the north–south Koshi Highway. Itahari has an estimated city population of 198,098 living in 40,207 households as per 2021 Nepal census. It is one of the fastest-growing cities in Eastern Nepal. It is one of the cities of the Greater Birat Development Area which incorporates the cities of Biratnagar-Itahari-Gothgau-Biratchowk-Dharan[1] primarily located on the Koshi Highway in Eastern Nepal, with an estimated total urban agglomerated population of 804,300 people living in 159,332 households.[2]
According to the Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development, Itahari has an area of 93.78km2 with 140,517 people living in 33,794 individual households as of Census of Nepal 2011.[3] [4] [5] [6] The town is divided into a total of 20 wards.[3] The municipality was established in 1997 and became a sub-metro in 2014.
Itahari is a fast-growing town in eastern Nepal. .It is situated in a fertile plain. Located at the main transportation junction in eastern Nepal, the town is gaining importance as a traffic hub.[7] Being at the junction of the Mahendra Highway and the Koshi Highway, the town is of emerging importance.[8] Itahari is 30km (20miles) at distance from Jogbani,[9] India by road which connects Itahari to Kolkata seaport by road and rail both means of transportation.
Biratnagar Airport is the nearest airport which is situated at 23 km distance from Itahari. Itahari is the junction of eastern development region.
In the winter season, the temperature of Itahari is 10–18 °C, it increases to 30–42 °C during the summer season.[10] About 2007 mm of precipitation falls annually. There is 4 mm of precipitation in December. In July, the precipitation reaches its peak, with an average of 571 mm.[11]
At the time of the 2011 Census of Nepal, 52% of the population in the City spoke Nepali, 19% Tharu, 8% Maithili, 3% Rai, 2% Urdu, 2% Limbu, and 13% spoke other languages as their first language.[12]
The largest ethnic group is Tharu, who makes 19% of the population, Hill Brahman and Chhetri comes to second and third with 17% each. Other groups in itahari includes the Rai (8%), Newar (4%), Muslim (3%) and others various ethnic groups makes(31%) of the population.[12]
| Party | Mayor/Chairperson | Deputy Mayor/Chairperson | Results | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hem Karna Poudel | - | |||
| Yam Kumar Chungwang Subba | Sangita Kumari Chaudhari | |||
| - | - | |||
| - | Keshav Kumar Bista | |||
| Akash Hang Limbu | Babita Kumari Chaudhari | |||
| CPN Maoist Socialist | Bhanu Bhakta Koirala | - | ||
| Janata Samajwadi Party | Dilli Prasad Limbu | Yamuna Guragain | ||
| Khambuwan Rastriya Morcha Nepal | Desh Maya Rai | - | ||
| Maulik Jarokilo Party | Rameswar Thapa | Sharmila Baral | ||
| Sanghiya Loktantrik Rastriya Manch | Bhim Kumar Limbu | Dilita Limbu | ||
| Nagarik Unmukti Party | Akshay Kumar Chaudhari | - | ||
| Mangol National Organization | Dipendra Rai | - | ||
| Loktantrit Samajwadi Party | Ganga Bahadur Shrestha | - | ||
| Jhamak Bahadur Karki | - | |||
| Dilli Ram Dahal | - | |||
| Padam Kumar Adhikari | - | |||
| Tek Raj Bhujel | - | |||
| - | Anju Kumari Singh |