Esfarayen (Persian: اسفراین)[a] is a city in the Central District of Esfarayen County, North Khorasan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district.

According to Javadzadeh (2001), the people of Esfarayen are composed of 4 ethnic groups, including the Tatas (Persians), the Turks of Khorasan, the Kurds of Kermanshah, the Hazaras (Barbarians).

[8] At the time of the 2006 National Census, the city's population was 51,321 in 13,376 households.

[10] The 2016 census measured the population of the city as 59,490 people in 17,466 households.

[11] Esfarayen is a university city in northeastern Iran, and in recent years, with the establishment of several universities, the student population of this city has grown.