| Mahabad County | |
| Native Name: | Persian: شهرستان مهاباد |
| Nickname: | سابلاغ |
| Settlement Type: | County |
| Image Map1: | IranWestAzerbaijan-SVG.svg |
| Map Caption1: | Location of West Azerbaijan province in Iran |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Iran |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Name1: | West Azerbaijan |
| Seat Type: | Capital |
| Seat: | Mahabad |
| Parts Type: | Districts |
| Parts Style: | para |
| P1: | Central |
| P2: | Khalifan |
| Area Total Km2: | 2591 |
| Population As Of: | 2016 |
| Population Total: | 236849 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Coordinates: | 36.65°N 87°W |
| Coordinates Footnotes: | [1] |
| Timezone: | IRST |
| Utc Offset: | +3:30 |
Mahabad County (Persian: شهرستان مهاباد) is in West Azerbaijan province, Iran. Its capital is the city of Mahabad.[2]
After the 2006 National Census, the village of Khalifan was elevated to the status of a city.
At the time of the 2006 census, the county's population was 197,441 in 42,493 households.[3] The following census in 2011 counted 215,529 people in 53,563 households.[4] The 2016 census measured the population of the county as 236,849 in 65,562 households.[5]
Mahabad County's population history and administrative structure over three consecutive censuses are shown in the following table.
| Administrative Divisions | 2006 | 2011 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central District | 179,697 | 198,757 | 222,069 | |
| 7,899 | 7,455 | 7,412 | ||
| 25,643 | 28,877 | 30,719 | ||
| 12,831 | 15,157 | 15,545 | ||
| Mahabad (city) | 133,324 | 147,268 | 168,393 | |
| Khalifan District | 17,744 | 16,772 | 14,780 | |
| 10,199 | 8,910 | 7,801 | ||
| 7,545 | 6,900 | 6,230 | ||
| Khalifan (city) | 962 | 749 | ||
| Total | 197,441 | 215,529 | 236,849 | |
The climate is mountainous with cold winters and temperate summers. Mahabad river flows through the capital.