Poldasht is a Persian word meaning arable land by the bridge.

The city is situated near the border crossing with the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan.

Across the Poldasht-Shah Takhti Bridge over the Aras is the Azerbaijani village of Şahtaxtı.

It is one of the two Iran-Nakhchivan border crossings; the other is located near the city of Jolfa in East Azerbaijan province.

At the time of the 2006 National Census, the city's population was 8,584 people in 2,205 households,[5] when it was capital of the former Poldasht District of Maku County.