Town · East Khasi Hills, Meghalaya # Shillong Shillong is a town in Mylliem sub-district of East Khasi Hills district, Meghalaya (cantonment board). The 2011 Census counted 11,930 people in 2,473 households. Literacy was 85.7%. - 11,930 people (2011) - 2,473 households - 85.7% literacy - 7 census wards ## Population of Shillong ■ Shillong · ■ East Khasi Hills urban average - Literacy (age 7+) 85.7% 91.4% - Sex ratio (F per 1,000 M) 727 1010 - Child sex ratio (0–6) 925 937 - Working population 40.3% 37.1% Source: Census of India 2011, Primary Census Abstract (town, village and ward level), all districts. ## Homes and amenities in Shillong Of every 100 households in Shillong in 2011, 97 had electricity, 85 a toilet at home and 61 cooked with LPG; 81 had a mobile phone, 7 a two-wheeler and 8 a car. ■ Shillong · ■ East Khasi Hills urban average - Electricity for lighting 97% 98% - Toilet within the home 85% 97% - No toilet (open defecation) 0% 2% - Tap water 91% 86% - Drinking water within premises 64% 63% - Cooking with LPG / PNG 61% 51% - Cooking with firewood / dung / crop residue 2% 10% - Use banking services 64% 76% - Television 74% 78% - Mobile phone 81% 84% - Computer with internet 7% 6% - Two-wheeler 7% 9% - Car / jeep / van 8% 16% - None of these assets 10% 7% - Own their home 11% 30% Source: Census of India 2011, Houselisting and Housing Census – households by amenities and assets (HH-14). ## Shillong in history The 11th edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica (1911) described Shillong as follows. Its wording reflects its time; spellings are as printed. SHILLONG, a town of British India, in the Khasi Hills district of Eastern Bengal and Assam. It is situated in 25° 34′ N. and 91° 53′ E., on a plateau 4978 ft. above the sea, 63 m. by cart-road S. of Gauhati, on the Brahmaputra. Shillong practically dates from 1864, when the district headquarters were transferred from Cherrapunji. It was chosen as the seat of government in 1874, when the province of Assam was constituted. Every one of the public buildings and houses that quickly grew up was levelled to the ground by the great earthquake of the 12th of June 1897, but they have since been rebuilt. Cantonments are provided for a battalion of Gurkhas with two guns, and Shillong is the headquarters of the Assam brigade of the 8th division of the Northern army. There are a government high school and a training school for masters. The Welsh Presbyterian mission is active in promoting education. Since 1905, when Dacca became the capital of the new province of Eastern Bengal and Assam, Shillong has declined in importance; but it is still the summer residence of the government and the headquarters of the district. Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th edition (1911) — public domain; transcription via Wikisource. Boundaries in 1901 may differ from today's; sentences describing castes or communities are omitted. ## What people in Shillong work as ■ Services, trade & industry 4,523 (94%) · ■ Household industry 12 (0%) · ■ Farming 36 (1%) · ■ Marginal 237 (5%) Source: Census of India 2011, Primary Census Abstract (town, village and ward level), all districts. ## How has the population of Shillong changed? From 5,236 in 1931 to 11,930 in 2011. 1931 1941 1951 1961 1971 1981 1991 2001 2011 Source: Census of India 2011, District Census Handbook – town directory. ## Shillong in numbers and road distances - Density 6,025 per km² - Annual rainfall 2,299 mm - Temperature range 14 °C to 23 °C ### Road distances - Shillong (state capital) 1 km by road - Shillong (district HQ) 1 km by road - Guwahati (city of 5 lakh+) 103 km by road - Guwahati (railway station) 103 km by road Source: Census of India 2011, District Census Handbook – town directory. ## Services and economy in Shillong ### Civic services - Pucca roads 10 km - Drainage Open and closed drains - Flush toilets 2,042 - Water storage 40 kl - Fire service In town - Electricity — homes 250 - Electricity — industry 2 ### Hospitals - ● Dispensaries 1 · 1 doctors ### Schools and colleges - ● Primary schools 3 govt · 3 private - ● Senior secondary schools 1 govt · 1 private ### Banks - Nationalised banks 2 Source: Census of India 2011, District Census Handbook – town directory. ## Hospitals, banks, ATMs and more in Shillong - Hospitals 9 in Shillong - Banks 40 in Shillong - ATMs 8 in Shillong - Petrol pumps 4 in Shillong - Hotels 82 in Shillong - Shopping malls 4 in Shillong - Schools 7 in Shillong - Colleges and universities 10 in Shillong - Cinemas 2 in Shillong - Pharmacies 1 in Shillong - Restaurants 60 in Shillong - Police stations 2 in Shillong - Dental clinics 6 in Shillong Source: Overture Maps Foundation places, release 2026-10-21.0 (CDLA-Permissive-2.0, Apache-2.0 or CC0 by source). ## Shillong ward list (2011) | Ward (2011) | People | Households | | Ward 1 | 2,905 | 680 | | Ward 2 | 1,212 | 212 | | Ward 3 | 1,635 | 338 | | Ward 4 | 1,129 | 236 | | Ward 5 | 1,569 | 298 | | Ward 6 | 996 | 193 | | Ward 7 | 2,484 | 516 | Source: Census of India 2011, Primary Census Abstract (town, village and ward level), all districts. Census wards of 2011; municipal ward boundaries may have changed since. ## Know before you go: Shillong - Time zone UTC+5:30, no daylight saving · Asia/Kolkata - Currency Rupee (INR) - Country calling code +91 - Languages English, Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil - Plug types Type C, D · 230 V - Driving side Left - Postcode format 6 digits (######) ### Nearest airports - Shillong Airport (SHL) · Shillong 18 km - Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport (GAU) · Guwahati 67 km ### Daylight Days are longest in Jun (about 13.7 hours, sunrise around 04:30) and shortest in Dec (about 10.6 hours, sunrise around 06:00, sunset around 16:34). Source: GeoNames country and time-zone files (CC BY 4.0); Wikidata (CC0) — plug types, mains voltage, driving side; retrieved 2026-11-02; OurAirports (public domain). Airports with scheduled passenger flights; straight-line distances. Daylight is calculated for the 15th of each month in local standard time. Check entry and visa rules with official government sources before travelling. ## Quick answers - What is the population of Shillong? 11,930 (Census 2011) - Which district is Shillong in? East Khasi Hills district, Meghalaya - What was the population of Shillong in 1931? 5,236 - How many wards does Shillong have? 7 census wards (2011) - What plug type is used in Shillong? Type C, D, 230 V - What is the nearest airport to Shillong? Shillong Airport (SHL), about 18 km in a straight line At a glance - Sub-district: Mylliem - District: East Khasi Hills - State: Meghalaya - Census town code: 801543 - Status: cantonment board - Coordinates: 25.569, 91.883 --- Canonical: https://wherepedia.org/india/meghalaya/east-khasi-hills/mylliem/shillong/ · Updated 2026-11-02 · Data: national censuses and statistics offices (sources named in each section); © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL); Overture Maps; GeoNames; NASA POWER.