Karratha is a city located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, situated adjacent to the port of Dampier. The city serves as the seat of government for the City of Karratha local government area. As of the 2021 census, the urban population of the city was recorded at 17,013.
Established in 1968, the city was originally created to house the workforce involved in the processing and exportation of iron by the Hamersley Iron mining company. In the 1980s, it expanded to accommodate petroleum and liquefied natural gas operations for the Woodside-operated North West Shelf Venture located on Murujuga.
The name Karratha is derived from a local cattle station. While historically associated with an Aboriginal word meaning "good country" or "soft earth," recent interpretations by the Ngarluma people suggest the name may relate to Gardarra, which stems from the sacred site for the whale known as Gardarrabuga.