In Lithuania, there are 103 cities (). The term city is defined by the Parliament of Lithuania as a compact urban area with more than 3,000 people, of whom at least two-thirds work in the industry or service sector. Settlements with a population of less than 3,000 but with historical city status are still considered to be cities. Smaller settlements are known as towns (), and even smaller settlements are known as villages (). Often the official status of these smaller settlements are unclear, and people simply refer to both towns and villages as settlements ().
The cities started to form between the 13th and 14th centuries together with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The first to receive city rights was Klaipėda. According to medieval law, a city could have its own fairs, taverns, guilds, courts, etc. Some former cities lost their status and are now just towns or villages, for example Kernavė and Merkinė. Most of the cities in Lithuania were established before the 18th century. Their location is mostly determined by trade and transportation routes. Some of the newer cities grew because of railroad construction, for example Kaišiadorys, Vievis, Radviliškis, Ignalina and Mažeikiai. In the 20th century, new cities grew primarily to service state developed industrial complexes, for example Visaginas, Elektrėnai and Naujoji Akmenė.
Of over 100 cities, only 14 have populations of over 20,000. Five cities (Birštonas, Druskininkai, Neringa, Palanga and Anykščiai) have a special resort status. Cities are quite evenly spread out through the territory of Lithuania. At the 2001 census, 66.7% of the population lived in cities. At the 2021 census the proportion had increased slightly to 68.2% of the population.
Cities with over 50,000 inhabitants #CoA CityPronunciationPopulation Change Grantedcity rights County Municipalities in urban area Urban areapopulation (2024) 2026 2021 2001 1 Vilnius Listen • Info 609,630 1387 Vilnius County See Vilnius urban area 708,627 2 Kaunas Listen • Info 303,613 1408 Kaunas County See Kaunas urban area 410,475 3 Klaipėda Listen • Info 160,295 1257 Klaipėda County Klaipėda City Municipality, Klaipėda District Municipality 226,676 4 Šiauliai Listen • Info 111,359 1589 Šiauliai County Šiauliai City Municipality, Šiauliai District Municipality 151,026 5 Panevėžys Listen • Info 83,857 1837 Panevėžys County See Panevėžys urban area 121,977 6 Alytus Listen • Info 49,467 1581 Alytus County Alytus City Municipality, Alytus District Municipality 76,815
Cities between 20,000 and 50,000 inhabitants #CoA CityPronunciation Population Change Grantedcity rights County Municipality 2026 2021 2001 1 Marijampolė Listen • Info 35,672 1792 Marijampolė County Marijampolė Municipality 2 Mažeikiai Listen • Info 32,664 1924 Telšiai County Mažeikiai District Municipality 3 Utena Listen • Info 26,125 1599 Utena County Utena District Municipality 4 Jonava Listen • Info 26,119 1864 Kaunas County Jonava District Municipality 5 Kėdainiai Listen • Info 23,190 1590 Kaunas County Kėdainiai District Municipality 6 Tauragė Listen • Info 21,656 1924 Tauragė County Tauragė District Municipality 7 Telšiai Listen • Info 21,350 1791 Telšiai County Telšiai District Municipality 8 Ukmergė Listen • Info 20,857 1486 Vilnius County Ukmergė District Municipality
Cities between 5,000 and 20,000 inhabitants # CoA City Pronunciation (audio help)Population Grantedcityrights County Municipality 2026 2021 2001 1 Palanga Listen • Info 19,545 16,746 17,623 1791 Klaipėda County Palanga City Municipality 2 Visaginas Listen • Info 18,640 19,446 29,554 1995 Utena County Visaginas Municipality 3 Kretinga Listen • Info 16,971 17,249 21,423 1609 Klaipėda County Kretinga District Municipality 4 Plungė Listen • Info 16,552 17,543 23,436 1792 Telšiai County Plungė District Municipality 5 Šilutė Listen • Info 15,687 15,952 21,476 1941 Klaipėda County Šilutė District Municipality 6 Gargždai Listen • Info 15,591 15,065 15,212 1792 Klaipėda County Klaipėda District Municipality 7 Radviliškis Listen • Info 15,208 15,103 20,339 1923 Šiauliai County Radviliškis District Municipality 8 Druskininkai Listen • Info 12,708 12,908 18,233 1893 Alytus County Druskininkai Municipality 9 Elektrėnai Listen • Info 12,059 11,255 14,050 1962 Vilnius County Elektrėnai Municipality 10 Jurbarkas Listen • Info 11,270 10,186 13,797 1611 Tauragė County Jurbarkas District Municipality 11 Rokiškis Listen • Info 10,947 11,770 16,746 1920 Panevėžys County Rokiškis District Municipality 12 Kuršėnai Listen • Info 10,298 10,916 14,197 1946 Šiauliai County Šiauliai District Municipality 13 Vilkaviškis Listen • Info 9,860 10,286 13,283 1660 Marijampolė County Vilkaviškis District Municipality 14 Biržai Listen • Info 9,801 10,734 15,262 1589 Panevėžys County Biržai District Municipality 15 Grigiškės Listen • Info 9,775 9,950 11,448 1958 Vilnius County Vilnius City Municipality 16 Garliava Listen • Info 9,660 10,366 13,322 1958 Kaunas County Kaunas District Municipality 17 Lentvaris Listen • Info 9,346 9,713 11,773 1946 Vilnius County Trakai District Municipality 18 Raseiniai Listen • Info 9,321 9,865 12,541 1492–1506 Kaunas County Raseiniai District Municipality 19 Prienai Listen • Info 8,650 8,796 11,353 1609 Kaunas County Prienai District Municipality 20 Kaišiadorys Listen • Info 8,343 8,380 10,002 1946 Kaunas County Kaišiadorys District Municipality 21 Joniškis Listen • Info 8,179 8,612 11,329 1616 Šiauliai County Joniškis District Municipality 22 Anykščiai Listen • Info 8,143 8,697 11,958 1516 Utena County Anykščiai District Municipality 23 Naujoji Akmenė Listen • Info 7,966 7,985 12,345 1792 Šiauliai County Akmenė District Municipality 24 Varėna Listen • Info 7,481 8,202 10,845 1946 Alytus County Varėna District Municipality 25 Šalčininkai Listen • Info 7,419 6,857 6,722 1956 Vilnius County Šalčininkai District Municipality 26 Kelmė Listen • Info 7,061 7,688 10,900 1947 Šiauliai County Kelmė District Municipality 27 Pasvalys Listen • Info 6,149 6,451 8,709 1946 Panevėžys County Pasvalys District Municipality 28 Kupiškis Listen • Info 5,813 6,218 8,451 1791 Panevėžys County Kupiškis District Municipality 29 Trakai Listen • Info 5,680 5,426 5,725 1409 Vilnius County Trakai District Municipality 30 Zarasai Listen • Info 5,537 6,077 8,365 1843 Utena County Zarasai District Municipality 31 Širvintos Listen • Info 5,433 5,827 7,273 1950 Vilnius County Širvintos District Municipality 32 Molėtai Listen • Info 5,409 5,782 7,221 1956 Utena County Molėtai District Municipality 33 Kazlų Rūda Listen • Info 5,344 5,590 7,401 1950 Marijampolė County Kazlų Rūda Municipality 34 Šakiai Listen • Info 5,156 5,462 6,795 1776 Marijampolė County Šakiai District Municipality 35 Skuodas Listen • Info 5,015 5,508 7,896 1572 Klaipėda County Skuodas District Municipality
Cities between 900 and 5,000 inhabitants # CoA City Pronunciation (audio help)PopulationGrantedcityrights County Municipality 2026 2021 2001 1 Neringa Listen • Info 4,643 3,609 2,386 1961 Klaipėda County Neringa Municipality 2 Ignalina Listen • Info 4,515 5,106 6,591 1950 Utena County Ignalina District Municipality 3 Pabradė Listen • Info 4,488 4,918 6,525 1946 Vilnius County Švenčionys District Municipality 4 Šilalė Listen • Info 4,461 4,729 6,281 1950 Tauragė County Šilalė District Municipality 5 Nemenčinė Listen • Info 4,351 4,831 5,892 1955 Vilnius County Vilnius District Municipality 6 Pakruojis Listen • Info 4,337 4,594 6,057 1950 Šiauliai County Pakruojis District Municipality 7 Švenčionėliai Listen • Info 4,258 4,748 6,923 1920 Vilnius County Švenčionys District Municipality 8 Vievis Listen • Info 4,134 4,311 5,303 1950 Vilnius County Elektrėnai Municipality 9 Švenčionys Listen • Info 4,120 4,448 5,684 1800 Vilnius County Švenčionys District Municipality 10 Kybartai Listen • Info 3,821 4,126 6,556 1947 Marijampolė County Vilkaviškis District Municipality 11 Kalvarija Listen • Info 3,793 3,982 5,090 1791 Marijampolė County Kalvarija Municipality 12 Lazdijai Listen • Info 3,655 4,016 5,140 1957 Alytus County Lazdijai District Municipality 13 Eišiškės Listen • Info 3,133 2,908 3,765 1950 Vilnius County Šalčininkai District Municipality 14 Rietavas Listen • Info 3,096 3,234 3,979 1792 Telšiai County Rietavas Municipality 15 Birštonas Listen • Info 2,970 3,072 3,225 1518? Kaunas County Birštonas Municipality 16 Žiežmariai Listen • Info 2,862 3,158 3,884 1792 Kaunas County Kaišiadorys District Municipality 17 Ariogala Listen • Info 2,495 2,743 3,697 1792 Kaunas County Raseiniai District Municipality 18 Šeduva Listen • Info 2,298 2,421 3,400 1654 Šiauliai County Radviliškis District Municipality 19 Akmenė Listen • Info 2,185 2,355 3,140 1792 Šiauliai County Akmenė District Municipality 20 Venta Listen • Info 2,116 2,250 3,412 1995 Šiauliai County Akmenė District Municipality 21 Viekšniai Listen • Info 2,076 2,249 2,270 1791 Telšiai County Mažeikiai District Municipality 22 Rūdiškės Listen • Info 1,845 1,985 2,559 1958 Vilnius County Trakai District Municipality 23 Tytuvėnai Listen • Info 1,689 1,850 2,851 1956 Šiauliai County Kelmė District Municipality 24 Vilkija Listen • Info 1,622 1,762 2,338 1792 Kaunas County Kaunas District Municipality 25 Ežerėlis Listen • Info 1,543 1,640 2,051 1956 Kaunas County Kaunas District Municipality 26 Pagėgiai Listen • Info 1,501 1,576 2,393 1923 Tauragė County Pagėgiai Municipality 27 Gelgaudiškis Listen • Info 1,449 1,572 2,029 1958 Marijampolė County Šakiai District Municipality 28 Skaudvilė Listen • Info 1,314 1,427 2,140 1950 Tauragė County Tauragė District Municipality 29 Kudirkos Naumiestis Listen • Info 1,226 1,381 1,997 1643 Marijampolė County Šakiai District Municipality 30 Žagarė Listen • Info 1,174 1,326 2,312 1924 Šiauliai County Joniškis District Municipality 31 Linkuva Listen • Info 1,160 1,283 1,797 1950 Šiauliai County Pakruojis District Municipality 32 Priekulė Listen • Info 1,145 1,245 1,725 1948 Klaipėda County Klaipėda District Municipality 33 Salantai Listen • Info 1,139 1,272 1,942 1746 Klaipėda County Kretinga District Municipality 34 Ramygala Listen • Info 1,121 1,241 1,733 1957 Panevėžys County Panevėžys District Municipality 35 Simnas Listen • Info 1,111 1,247 1,980 1626 Alytus County Alytus District Municipality 36 Veisiejai Listen • Info 984 1,141 1,762 1956 Alytus County Lazdijai District Municipality37Baltoji VokėListen • Info 9809981,0731958Vilnius CountyŠalčininkai District Municipality 38 Jieznas Listen • Info 974 1,047 1,476 1956 Kaunas County Prienai District Municipality39SmalininkaiListen • Info 9428526531945Tauragė CountyJurbarkas District Municipality40JoniškėlisListen • Info 9151,0261,4771736Panevėžys CountyPasvalys District Municipality41DaugaiListen • Info 8691,0161,4581792Alytus CountyAlytus District Municipality
Remaining cities in Lithuania The smallest cities in Lithuania that have below 1,000 inhabitants. The counties are ranked by number of cities and further ranked by the population of the largest one. Cities are ranked by the size of the population.
Panevėžys County (5) Subačius, Obeliai, Vabalninkas, Pandėlys, Joniškėlis. Utena County (4) Dūkštas, Kavarskas, Dusetos, Troškūnai. Alytus County (2) Veisiejai, Daugai. Tauragė County (2) Smalininkai, Panemunė. Telšiai County (2) Varniai, Seda. Vilnius County (1) Baltoji Vokė. Kaunas County (1) Jieznas. Marijampolė County (1) Virbalis. Šiauliai County (1) Užventis.
Map of Lithuanian cities by population
Gallery
Cities by compass direction reference