The administrative district of Stara Zagora is located in Central Bulgaria. The district territory (occupying an area of 5,151.1 sq.km) includes parts of the Thracian Plane, parts of Sredna Gora Mountain, the Southern slopes of Stara Planina and the Kazanlak Valley.
The geographical location of the region is very advantageous. The territory of the district is crossed by highways and class I roads, and railways that connect the Northern border of Bulgaria by the Danube River with the Southern border with Greece and Turkey (first class road I-5). Bulgaria’s capital Sofia is situated 227 km to the West (A-1). The ports of Bourgas and Varna are located 175 km and 246 km to the East respectively (distance along the shortest possible routes). Three of the European Transport Corridors cross the territory of the Stara Zagora district.
The district centre Stara Zagora ranks sixth in Bulgaria in terms of population after Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, Bourgas and Rousse. The town is situated in the Southern slopes of Sredna Gora Mountain and has the following geographic coordinates: 42O 25‘ North latitude and 25O 37‘ East longitude. The average altitude is 196.5 m.
Stara Zagora District comprises 11 municipalities with a total of 206 settlements, 10 of which are towns: Stara Zagora, Kazanlak, Radnevo, Chirpan, Galabovo, Pavel Bania, Maglizh, Gurkovo, Nikolaevo and Shipka.
| Population by Municipalities | Number of populated areas | Population by current registration as of 14.12.2007 | Population by current registration as of 14.12.2008 | Population by current registration as of 15.1.2010 |
| Stara Zagora | 51 | 176,846 | 176,443 | 175,263 |
| Kazanlak | 20 | 82,252 | 81,378 | 80,381 |
| Chirpan | 21 | 24,687 | 24,429 | 24,087 |
| Radnevo | 24 | 22,993 | 22,679 | 22,356 |
| Pavel Banya | 13 | 15,39 | 15,364 | 15,228 |
| Galabovo | 11 | 15,193 | 14,956 | 14,793 |
| Maglizh | 15 | 12,659 | 12,618 | 12,508 |
| Bratya Daskalovi | 23 | 9,398 | 9,134 | 9,015 |
| Gurkovo | 11 | 5,51 | 5,472 | 5,457 |
| Nikolaevo | 4 | 5,025 | 5,012 | 5,028 |
| Opan | 13 | 3,453 | 3,353 | 3,349 |
| Population by Districts | Number of populated areas | Population by current registration as of December 14 | ||||
| 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | ||
| Sofia | 54 | 1,373,835 | 1,379,308 | 1,386,883 | 1,400,307 | 1,402,471 |
| Plovdiv | 215 | 747,95 | 745,181 | 742,661 | 740,872 | 736,2 |
| Varna | 158 | 493,073 | 494,804 | 497,275 | 500,175 | 501,087 |
| Bourgas | 257 | 443,092 | 443,577 | 445,941 | 446,356 | 447,32 |
| Stara Zagora | 206 | 379,544 | 376,403 | 373,406 | 370,838 | 367,465 |
| Blagoevgrad | 280 | 346,987 | 346,074 | 345,115 | 344,862 | 343,845 |
| Pleven | 123 | 321,903 | 317,37 | 312,847 | 308,649 | 304,04 |
| Pazardzhik | 117 | 308,936 | 306,207 | 303,508 | 301,493 | 299,063 |
