diff --git a/news/6501.feature b/news/6501.feature
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..9f496ae614f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/news/6501.feature
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Moved most of the setup.py to declarative setup.cfg.
diff --git a/setup.cfg b/setup.cfg
index eb870bb5e99..2d393d32e79 100644
--- a/setup.cfg
+++ b/setup.cfg
@@ -41,4 +41,39 @@ addopts = --ignore src/pip/_vendor --ignore tests/tests_cache -r aR
 universal = 1
 
 [metadata]
+name = pip
+version = attr: pip.__version__
+url = https://pip.pypa.io/
+author = The pip developers
+author_email = pypa-dev@groups.google.com
+description = The PyPA recommended tool for installing Python packages.
+long_description = file: README.rst
+keywords = distutils, easy_install, egg, setuptools, wheel, virtualenv
+license = MIT
 license_file = LICENSE.txt
+classifiers =
+    Development Status :: 5 - Production/Stable
+    Intended Audience :: Developers
+    License :: OSI Approved :: MIT License
+    Topic :: Software Development :: Build Tools
+    Programming Language :: Python
+    Programming Language :: Python :: 2
+    Programming Language :: Python :: 2.7
+    Programming Language :: Python :: 3
+    Programming Language :: Python :: 3.4
+    Programming Language :: Python :: 3.5
+    Programming Language :: Python :: 3.6
+    Programming Language :: Python :: 3.7
+    Programming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: CPython
+    Programming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: PyPy
+
+[options]
+zip_safe = False
+package_dir =
+    = src
+packages = find:
+python_requires = >=2.7,!=3.0.*,!=3.1.*,!=3.2.*,!=3.3.*
+
+[options.packages.find]
+where = src
+exclude = contrib, docs, tests*, tasks
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index e2e14b4965a..b30a567e81b 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -1,69 +1,8 @@
-import codecs
-import os
-import re
 import sys
 
-from setuptools import find_packages, setup
-
-here = os.path.abspath(os.path.dirname(__file__))
-
-
-def read(*parts):
-    # intentionally *not* adding an encoding option to open, See:
-    #   https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv/issues/201#issuecomment-3145690
-    with codecs.open(os.path.join(here, *parts), 'r') as fp:
-        return fp.read()
-
-
-def find_version(*file_paths):
-    version_file = read(*file_paths)
-    version_match = re.search(
-        r"^__version__ = ['\"]([^'\"]*)['\"]",
-        version_file,
-        re.M,
-    )
-    if version_match:
-        return version_match.group(1)
-
-    raise RuntimeError("Unable to find version string.")
-
-
-long_description = read('README.rst')
+from setuptools import setup
 
 setup(
-    name="pip",
-    version=find_version("src", "pip", "__init__.py"),
-    description="The PyPA recommended tool for installing Python packages.",
-    long_description=long_description,
-
-    license='MIT',
-    classifiers=[
-        "Development Status :: 5 - Production/Stable",
-        "Intended Audience :: Developers",
-        "License :: OSI Approved :: MIT License",
-        "Topic :: Software Development :: Build Tools",
-        "Programming Language :: Python",
-        "Programming Language :: Python :: 2",
-        "Programming Language :: Python :: 2.7",
-        "Programming Language :: Python :: 3",
-        "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.4",
-        "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.5",
-        "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.6",
-        "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.7",
-        "Programming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: CPython",
-        "Programming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: PyPy",
-    ],
-    url='https://pip.pypa.io/',
-    keywords='distutils easy_install egg setuptools wheel virtualenv',
-
-    author='The pip developers',
-    author_email='pypa-dev@groups.google.com',
-
-    package_dir={"": "src"},
-    packages=find_packages(
-        where="src",
-        exclude=["contrib", "docs", "tests*", "tasks"],
-    ),
     package_data={
         "pip._vendor.certifi": ["*.pem"],
         "pip._vendor.requests": ["*.pem"],
@@ -77,7 +16,4 @@ def find_version(*file_paths):
             "pip%s.%s=pip._internal:main" % sys.version_info[:2],
         ],
     },
-
-    zip_safe=False,
-    python_requires='>=2.7,!=3.0.*,!=3.1.*,!=3.2.*,!=3.3.*',
 )