Maardu

{{Short description|Town in Harju County, Estonia}}

{{About|the town|village in Jõelähtme Parish|Maardu (village)}}

{{Expand language|topic=|langcode=et|otherarticle=Maardu|date=February 2025}}

{{More citations needed|date=June 2013}}

{{Infobox settlement

| name = Maardu

| settlement_type = Town

| image_skyline = Muuga.jpg

| imagesize =

| image_caption = Panorama of Maardu, Port of Muuga in the background. The Iru Power Plant is in the foreground.

| image_flag = Flag of et-Maardu.svg

| flag_size = 125px

| image_seal =

| seal_size =

| image_shield = Maardu vapp.svg

| shield_size = 75px

| image_blank_emblem =

| blank_emblem_type =

| blank_emblem_size =

| nickname =

| motto =

| pushpin_map = Estonia

| pushpin_label_position = bottom

| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Estonia

| coordinates = {{coord|59|28|41|N|25|00|58|E|region:EE|display=inline,title}}

| subdivision_type = Country

| subdivision_name = {{flag|Estonia}}

| subdivision_type1 = County

| subdivision_name1 = 24px Harju County

| established_title =

| established_date =

| established_title1 = First mentioned

| established_date1 = 1241

| established_title2 = Borough rights

| established_date2 = 1951

| established_title3 = Town rights

| established_date3 = 1980

| government_type =

| leader_party = Estonian Centre Party

| leader_title = Mayor

| leader_name = Vladimir Arhipov

| area_total_km2 = 22.76

| elevation_m = 20

| population_total = 17,017{{cite web|url=https://andmed.stat.ee/et/stat/rahvaloendus__rel2021__rahvastiku_paiknemine__elukoht-ja-soo-vanusjaotus/RL21003/table/tableViewLayout2|title=Maardu linn, valik andmeid}}

| population_footnotes =

| population_as_of = 2024

|population_rank = 8th

| population_density_km2 = auto

| postal_code_type = Postal code

| postal_code = 74111

| website = [http://www.maardu.ee www.maardu.ee]

| iso_code = EE-446

}}

Maardu ({{IPA|et|ˈmɑːrd̥u|lang}}, {{langx|de|Maart}}) is a town and a municipality in Harju County, Estonia. It is part of Tallinn metropolitan area, located about {{convert|15|km}} east of the capital city.{{cite web|url=https://maardu.ee/en/web/eng/anbout-maardu|title=About Maardu|publisher=Maardu Linnavalitsus|access-date=1 February 2023}} The town covers an area of 22.76 km² and has a population of 16,170 (as of 1 January 2021).

The Port of Muuga, the largest cargo port in Estonia, is partly located in Maardu.{{cite web|url=https://www.ts.ee/en/muuga-harbour/|title=Muuga Harbour|publisher=Port of Tallinn|access-date=25 September 2022}}

According to the 2000 Census, the population was 16,738. 61.7% were Russians, 19.9% Estonians, 6.6% Ukrainians, 5.7% Belarusians, 1.5% Tatars. The proportion of Estonians was one of the lowest (if not the lowest) in Central and Western Estonia.

Outside the town (in the village of Maardu), south of the road to Narva lies Maardu manor, one of the oldest preserved baroque manor houses in Estonia. It traces its origins to 1389, but the current building dates from the 1660s with additions made in the 19th century. The landlord of the manor Herman Jensen Bohn in 1739 funded the printing of the first bible printed in Estonian.{{cite book | last = Sakk | first = Ivar | title = Estonian Manors - A Travelogue | publisher = Sakk & Sakk OÜ | year = 2004 | location = Tallinn | page = 50 | isbn = 9949-10-117-4 }}