Guntur, natively spelt as Gunturu, is a city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and the administrative headquarters of Guntur district. The city is part of the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region and is located on the Eastern Coastal Plains approximately 14 miles (23 km) south-west of the state capital Amaravati. According to data from the 2011 Census of India, Guntur had a population of 743,354 in that year, making it the third-most-populous city in the state, and occupies 159.46 square kilometres of land. The city is the heartland of the state, located in the center of Andhra Pradesh and making it a central part connecting different regions.