Haifa is located in the northern part of Israel.
Haifa ( [ χei̯ˈfa , ˈχai̯fa ] حيفا ) , is the third-largest city in the State of Israel , with a population of in . The city of Haifa forms part of the Haifa metropolitan area , the second - or third-most populous metropolitan area in Israel . Built on the slopes of Mount Carmel , the settlement has a history spanning more than 3,000 years . It lies about 90 km north of Tel Aviv and is the major regional center of northern Israel . The Haifa metropolitan area is a metropolitan area including areas from both the Haifa and the Northern districts of Israel .