After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Simferopol became the capital of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea within newly independent Ukraine. Today it has a population of 363,600 (as of 2004) who are mostly ethnic Russians. There are also significant Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar minorities.

After the Crimean Tatars returned from exile in the 1990s, several new Crimean Tatar suburbs were erected in the area.

Simferopol nowadays is a large city with a busy life, but with only a small "historical city" district, mostly of XIX and beginning of XX century. Modest, but beautiful old districts are full of trees and surrounded by the park along the River Salgir. The city hosts a number of theatres, many restaurants and clubs, and is a major transit point for all tourists arriving at Crimea. The city authorities look forward to establish new museums and to present the complex history of the city to the visitor.

Virtually all touristic Crimea is within a few hours travel like coastal resorts Alushta and Yalta (1.5-2 hours by trolleybus or minibus), Bakhchisarai with its Khan Palace, the old resort Yevpatoria, Feodosia and Sudak as well as Sevastopol and Balaklava.