Beitar Illit (Hebrew: בֵּיתָר עִלִּית‎) is an Israeli settlement on the West Bank of the Jordan River, 10 km south of Jerusalem and west of Gush Etzion. The second largest city in the Judea and Samaria region.

History
Beitar Illit is the first city built specifically for the ultra-Orthodox population (Haredi). The Israeli government decided to create it in 1980. The settlement, which eventually became a city, was founded by students of the small Zionist yeshiva Mahon Meir in 1985. The city is named after the biblical city of Beitar, the ruins of which lie 1 km from the city. The initiative to create Beitar Ilit belongs to Yosef Rosenberg. The government decided in 1980 that the settlement would be built by a private entrepreneur (Josef Rosenberg). In 1987, the Ministry of Housing decided to build the city itself, designating the city of Beitar for the ultra-Orthodox population, that is, to populate it with Haredim, with their rabbis and admors.

The city is inhabited by Haredim from Jerusalem, Bnei Brak and other religious settlements in Israel. All streets in the city are named after ultra-Orthodox Jewish public figures, rabbis and book authors. At the moment, only ultra-Orthodox Jews live in the city. The ideology of the city is based on the desire to create an independent ultra-religious community, acting in the spirit of the Torah, guided by its own way of life.

Population
According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, the population for 2016 is 49,343.
The annual population growth is 7.5%. The ratio of women to men is 961 women per 1000 men. Beitar Illit is the youngest city in Israel: 63% of the population is under the age of 18. In 2013, the population of the city is 45,710 people.

Transport
Regular bus service connects Beitar Illit with Jerusalem, Beit Shemesh, Bnei Brak, Modi’in Illit and Elad.

Education
The city has a large number of kindergartens, several yeshivas, kollels (Eng. Kollel) and schools for girls.