Dehradun, also spelled Dera Doon, is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is also the most populated city in the state. It is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and is governed by the Dehradun Municipal Corporation, with the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly holding its winter sessions in the city. Part of the Garhwal region, and housing the headquarters of its Divisional Commissioner, it lies along National Highway 7 with the distance of 248 km north of India's capital New Delhi and is well-connected with a rail line and the airport. Dehradun is one of the "Counter Magnets" of the National Capital Region being developed as an alternative centre of growth to help ease the migration and population explosion in the Delhi metropolitan area and to establish a smart city in the Himalayas.
Dehradun is located in the Doon Valley on the foothills of the Himalayas nestled between Song river, a tributary of Ganga on the east and the Asan river, a tributary of Yamuna on the west. The city is noted for its picturesque landscape and slightly milder climate and provides a gateway to the surrounding region.