The city is situated at the western edge of the Bărăgan Plain, on the banks of the Ialomița River and its tributary, the river Cotorca. It is located in the northwestern part of Ialomița County, 62 km (39 mi) from the county seat, Slobozia.
Founded by Romanian shepherds, the name of the city is derived from the word "urzică" (nettle). It was mentioned for the first time in a written document on 23 April 1596, during the reign of Michael the Brave. It gained in 1831 the status of market town and in 1895 the city status. For 117 years (between 1716 and 1833), it was the capital of Ialomița County.
Demographics
Historical population
Year
Pop.
±%
1912
3,437
—
1930
8,616
+150.7%
1948
4,425
−48.6%
1956
6,061
+37.0%
1966
9,291
+53.3%
1977
12,476
+34.3%
1992
19,483
+56.2%
2002
19,088
−2.0%
2011
14,053
−26.4%
2021
13,380
−4.8%
Source: Census data
As the census of 2011 results showed, Urziceni was ranked in 3rd place in Ialomița County, after Slobozia and Fetești. It had a population of 14,053, of which 93.1% were ethnic Romanians, 4.6% Roma, and 1.6% Hungarians. Moreover, there were 6,765 males and 7,288 females. At the 2021 census, the city had 13,380 inhabitants; of those, 82.35% were Romanians and 4.4% Roma.[3]
Alexandru Toma (1875–1954), poet, journalist, and translator
Football record
A little town by any standards, Urziceni is perhaps best known for its football team, Unirea Urziceni. Urziceni holds the record for the smallest town to have a team in the UEFA Champions League. The team wound up a year later.
