It is one of the largest cities of western Afghanistan in terms of population, with about 1.5 million people living in its urban area.

Farah is located in western Afghanistan between Kandahar and Herat, close to the border with Iran, although it lacks a direct road connection with the latter.

The region was historically controlled by the Tahirids followed by the Saffarids, Samanids, Ghaznavids, Ghurids, Khwarazmshahs, Ilkhanids, Kartids, Timurids, Khanate of Bukhara, and Safavids until the early-18th century when it became part of the Afghan Hotaki dynasty followed by the Durrani Empire.

Genghis Khan and his army passed through in the 13th century, and the city fell to the native Kartids who lost it to the Timurids.

Farah was seized by Sultan Jan, then ruler of Herat, but re-captured by Dost Mohammad Khan on July 8, 1862.

The United States built a base at Farah Airport, which also houses the Afghan National Security Forces (ANFS).

Clashes with police started when people from the three villages struck by US B1-bombers brought 15 newly discovered bodies in a truck to the house of the provincial governor.

Going by the account of survivors, the air raid was not a brief attack by several aircraft acting on mistaken intelligence, but a sustained bombardment in which three villages were pounded to pieces.

A copy of the government's list of the names and ages of each of the 140 dead showed that 93 of those killed were children, and only 22 were adult males.

[16] On 20 November 2009 it was reported that a suicide bomber on a motorcycle detonated near a market in Farah Naz city, killing 17 people and wounding 29.

[17] Mullah Hayatullah was the Taliban commander for Farah province and was reported to be known to run suicide training camps.

On May 16, government security forces backed by US air support reasserted control over Farah after driving the Taliban out of the city center.

Abdul Basir Salangi, governor of Farah Province, said that the clashes left at least 25 members of the government security forces and five civilians dead, and at least 300 Taliban fighters were also killed.

About 95 mm (3.74 in) of precipitation falls annually, and February is the wettest month, receiving 22.8 millimetres (0.90 in) of rainfall on average.