[3] Its location along the main travel corridor from Malaysia to Thailand has long made it a major transportation hub in the northern Malay Peninsula.

Owing to the long status as the capital of Kedah, Alor Setar is regarded as one of the core cultural centres for the Kedahan Malays.

At present, the city covers a land area of 666 km2 (257 sq mi), which is occupied by more than 400,000 inhabitants (as per the 2020 census).

[5][6] The name came from the combination of two Malay words: Alor ("small stream") and Setar (Bouea macrophylla Griff.

However, the capital suffered a major attack when the Bugis armanda led by Raja Haji managed to destroy both the Istana Kota Setar (Royal Palace) and Balai Besar (Grand Hall) in 1770.

In 1771, the British represented by Francis Light and Sultan Abdullah Mukaram Shah entered an agreement to halt the Bugis influence in Kedah.

[11] During the coronation ceremony of Ahmad Tajuddin Halim Shah II of Kedah on 17 March 1805, Siamese forces managed to occupy the capital.

[12] Upon his arrival in Kampung Kota Setar, he befriended several local Malays and they invited him to the sultan's palatial residence.

The city attracted various cosmopolitan trading activities from the British, Indian, Chinese together with other local and regional merchants.

In 1904, the city witnessed the grand wedding of the five children of Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah, lasting for 3 months and the cost estimated to be 3 million Ringgit.

[13] On 25 July 1905, the Legislative Council of Kedah (Majlis Mesyuarat Negeri) was formed in Alor Setar, with the Crown Prince, Tuanku Abdul Aziz held as its president.

[11] The town also witnessed the 4th UMNO General Assembly which lay the draft for the foundation of the present-day Constitution of Malaysia.

[11] The change of status of Alor Setar throughout the 20th century was also closely parallel by the rise of its urban development, demographic and population growth.

A ceremony was held at Dataran Tunku, Alor Setar, attended by the Kedah's Sultan Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah, his consort Che' Puan Haminah Hamidun, the heir apparent, other royalty and politicians.

As the state capital, Alor Setar holds a pivotal role on maintaining the political and economic interest of Kedah.

The Office of the Chief Minister and the Kedah State Legislative Assembly are both based in Wisma Darul Aman.

[19] By 2013, it was elevated to be a city status by the Ministry of Housing and Local Government and being administered as Majlis Bandaraya Alor Setar.

[citation needed] A majority of the population adhered to the Islamic faith, which correlates to the strong Malay/Muslim ethnoreligious identity.

Built in 1912, its official opening ceremony was held on 15 October 1915 by the late Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah.

[31] The Muslim life in Alor Setar is centered on the 69 mosques and a large numbers of suraus located around the city.

Worshipping the Empress Registrar of Birth or Dou Mu (斗母) and Nine Emperor (九皇大帝/九皇大帝) deities, the temple has both Taoist and Buddhist influences.

In addition to Islam and Buddhism, other religions and faiths are also practiced in the city, including Hinduism, Christianity and Sikhism.

Alor Setar is one of the important commercial and industrial centres in Kedah, alongside Sungai Petani and Kulim.

[34] Other significant economic activities in Alor Setar includes manufacturing, commerce and retail, hospitality and tourism, financial services, food processing and fishery.

The North–South Expressway, which extends from Bukit Kayu Hitam (Malaysia–Thai border town) to Singapore, has made it easy to drive to Kedah.

[38] Since 9 September 2013, Malaysian Airline System connects Alor Setar with a seasonal international direct flights to Madinah and Jeddah for the Hajj pilgrims.

According to the Ninth Malaysia Plan, by the year 2010, Bandar Muadzam Shah in Anak Bukit will become the new Administrative Centre after Alor Setar city.

Anak Bukit railway station was established in 2015, to enhance the connectivity between the administrative centre to the Peninsula Malaysia's rail network.

For the Islamic family matters, the cases are mainly heard in Syariah Court in Bandar Muadzam Shah.

There are also several police stations located in Kuala Kedah, Anak Bukit, Kepala Batas and Alor Jaggus.