Quick facts
Orël overview
Orël (orange) and the other large cities of Russia
Orël lies in Oryol oblast in Russia at 52.97°N, 36.08°E, about 176 m above sea level. The local time zone is Europe/Moscow (UTC+3); GeoNames classifies it as a regional capital.
It is smaller than Vladikavkaz (306,258) and larger than Surgut (300,367). The largest city in Russia is Moscow with 10,381,222 people; the capital, Moscow, has 10,381,222.
The national capital, Moscow, is about 325 km away; the nearest large city is Bryansk, 122 km from Orël.
Russia as a whole has a live population of 143,296,039 (-0.2% a year) and ranks #9 of 238 countries — see the Russia population page for the full statistics and the Russia atlas for provinces, terrain and society maps.
Cities near Orël
Largest cities in Russia
| # | City | Region | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MoscowCapital | Moscow | 10,381,222 |
| 2 | Saint Petersburg | St. Petersburg | 5,351,935 |
| 3 | Novosibirsk | Novosibirsk Oblast | 1,612,833 |
| 4 | Yekaterinburg | Sverdlovsk Oblast | 1,495,066 |
| 5 | Nizhniy Novgorod | Nizhny Novgorod Oblast | 1,259,013 |
| 6 | Kazan | Tatarstan Republic | 1,243,500 |
| 7 | Chelyabinsk | Chelyabinsk | 1,202,371 |
| 8 | Omsk | Omsk Oblast | 1,172,070 |
| 9 | Samara | Samara Oblast | 1,163,399 |
| 10 | Rostov-on-Don | Rostov | 1,130,305 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Orël?
Orël has about 303,696 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.
Is Orël the capital of Russia?
No. The capital of Russia is Moscow (10,381,222 people), about 325 km away. Orël is the 62nd largest city of the country and a regional capital.
How big is Orël compared with the rest of Russia?
Its 303,696 residents are 0.2% of the 143,296,039 people living in Russia today. Moscow is larger with 10,381,222 people.
Where is Orël?
In Oryol oblast, Russia, at latitude 52.97 and longitude 36.08, 176 m above sea level. Nearby large cities include Bryansk (122 km), Kursk (138 km), Yelets (168 km).
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Cite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Orël Population 2026 — Russia. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/russia/orel/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/russia/orel/">Orël Population 2026 — Russia</a> — GlostatsFigures on this page may be quoted, charted or republished as long as the page is credited with a link. Terms · Download the data as CSV · Embed a live counter.
City populations are GeoNames figures (CC BY 4.0): the latest official census or estimate for the city proper — the municipality, not the wider metropolitan area — so they can differ from "metro area" numbers you see elsewhere. Country populations are live Glostats estimates from the UN World Population Prospects. Distances are great-circle distances between city centres. Page generated 2026-10-20. More about our data.