Kherson
Kherson
Херсон | |
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Flag Coat of arms | |
Interactive map of Kherson | |
Kherson Location of Kherson Kherson Kherson (Ukraine) Kherson Kherson (Black Sea) | |
| Coordinates: 46°38′33″N 32°37′30″E / 46.64250°N 32.62500°E | |
| Country | Ukraine |
| Oblast | Kherson Oblast |
| Raion | Kherson Raion |
| Hromada | Kherson urban hromada |
| Founded | 18 June 1778 |
| Government | |
| • Head of the city Military Administration | Yaroslav Shanko |
| Area | |
• Total | 135.7 km2 (52.4 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 46.6 m (153 ft) |
| Population (2025) | |
• Total | 66,000 |
| • Density | 490/km2 (1,300/sq mi) |
| Postal code | 73000 |
| Area code | +380 552 |
| Primary airport | Kherson International Airport |
| Website | miskrada |
Kherson (Ukrainian and Russian: Херсон, Ukrainian: [xerˈsɔn] ⓘ, Russian: [xʲɪrˈson]) is a port city in southern Ukraine that serves as the administrative centre of Kherson Oblast. Located by the Black Sea and on the Dnieper River, Kherson is the home to a major ship-building industry and is a regional economic centre. At the beginning of 2022, its population was estimated at 279,131.
The city was founded as a base for the Russian Empire's Black Sea Fleet on the site of a fortress previously established by Zaporozhian Cossacks. During the 19th and early 20th century Kherson served as the regional capital of eponymous governorate, becoming a major centre of trade and transport. Under the Soviet rule the city became a major scientific, cultural and industrial centre known for its shipbuilding industry. In modern Ukraine the city is also famous for its watermelons.
From March to November 2022, the city was occupied by Russian forces during their invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainian forces recaptured the city on 11 November 2022. In June 2023, part of the city was flooded following the Russian destruction of the nearby Kakhovka Dam.