Douglas (Manx: Doolish, pronounced [ˈdðuːlʲəʃ]) is the capital city and largest settlement of the Isle of Man, with a population of 26,677 (2021) and an area of 4.1 square miles (10.5 km2).

Douglas was a small settlement until it grew rapidly as a result of links with the English port of Liverpool in the 18th century.

Further population growth came in the following century, resulting during the 1860s in a staged transfer of the High Courts, the Lieutenant Governor's residence (actually located in nearby Onchan), and finally the seat of the legislature, Tynwald, to Douglas[1] from the ancient capital, Castletown.

The city is the island's main hub for business, finance, legal services, shipping, transport, shopping, and entertainment.

[6] Douglas is twice referred to in the monastic Chronicle of the Kings of Man and the Isles: first in 1190, when the monks of St Mary's Abbey at Rushen were transferred there for a four-year stay; then again in 1313, when Robert the Bruce, King of Scotland, spent the night at the "monastery of Duglas" on his way to seize Castle Rushen.

The first detailed documentation shows that in 1511[8] there were only thirteen resident households in the settlement clustered north of the harbour; most of the property there was classified as "chambers"[9] (unoccupied, unheated, single-celled structures) for which rent was paid by non-residents including clergy, officials and landowners from elsewhere on the island.

In 1681 Thomas Denton described Douglas as "the place of greatest resort" on the Isle of Man, and by 1705 a clear picture of the early town emerges, with hints that its residential, market, and military defence functions were growing in importance[11] alongside the port facility.

[13] The town's later prosperity was facilitated by the low cost of living, and the favourable legal status enjoyed by English debtors and half-pay officers.

[15] The open sewage, middens (domestic waste dumps), and smell from the harbour at low tide all contributed to the town's uncleanliness.

However, an Act passed later that decade, which did not include opt-out clauses, was accepted, and in 1860, Douglas elected its first town council, which was predominantly middle class in its makeup.

[13] The Commissioners also worked to alter the anachronistic architecture of Douglas, built during the era of fishing and trading, and no longer amenable or safe for tourists.

[13] The earliest organised ferry services emerged between Douglas and Whitehaven, established by William Nicholson in the 1750s.

Steamer services brought a considerable improvement; the first regular link (en route between Greenock and Liverpool) was available from 1819.

[18] The formation of what became the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company in 1830 led to greatly improved services, and also laid the foundations for growth in both cargo and tourist traffic.

[20] During the First and Second World Wars, some parts of Douglas and elsewhere in the Isle of Man were home to internment camps for "enemy aliens".

On 20 May 2022, it was announced that, as part of the Platinum Jubilee Civic Honours, Douglas would receive city status by Letters Patent sometime later in 2022.

The city is surrounded by several villages, most notably Onchan to the north-east (which forms a conurbation with Douglas) and Union Mills to the west.

Douglas elects eight members of the House of Keys: two each from four constituencies (Central, East, South and North).

[42] The more formal history of education in the city begins with Bishop Thomas Wilson's establishment of the Douglas Grammar School.

Alderman William Dixon (a native of Douglas, but resident in Dublin since at least the 1680s[43]) agreed to hand over his parents' former home, and passed over the New Bond Street property in 1714.

[44] Even after this, the mastership of Douglas Grammar School continued to be combined with the Chaplaincy, now of the new Chapel of St Matthew.

The King George V Bowl, a multi-use stadium located on Pulrose Road is owned by Douglas Borough Council.