Districts of Tamil Nadu | |
---|---|
![]() Districts of Tamil Nadu | |
Category | Districts |
Location | Tamil Nadu |
Number | 38 districts |
Populations | Perambalur – 565,223 (lowest); Chennai – 7,139,630 (highest) |
Areas | Chennai – 426 km2 (164 sq mi) (smallest); Dindigul – 6,266.64 km2 (2,419.56 sq mi) (largest) |
Government | |
Subdivisions |
The Indian state of Tamil Nadu is divided into 38 districts. Districts are the major administrative units of a state which are further sub-divided into taluks. There were 13 districts in the erstwhile Madras Province the boundaries of the present-day Tamil Nadu. Post the reorganization in 1956, Madras state had 13 re-organized districts which was further divided in the later years.
Before 1947, Madras Presidency under British Raj was made up of 26 districts, of which 12 districts were part of the boundaries of the present-day Tamil Nadu, namely, Chingleput, Coimbatore, Nilgiris, North Arcot, Madras, Madura, Ramnad, Salem, South Arcot, Tanjore, Tinnevely, and Trichinopoly.[1]
After Indian Independence, the Madras Presidency] became the Madras Province on 15 August 1947. Pudukottai, a princely state acceded to the Indian Union on 4 March 1948 and became a division in Trichinopoly district.[2] When the new constitution came into force on 26 January 1950, Madras Province became Madras State. Madras state included most of the present-day Tamil Nadu, Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema of Andhra Pradesh, the Malabar region of Kerala, Bellary and South Canara districts of Karnataka.[3] Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema were separated to form Andhra State in 1953.[4] As a result of the re-organization of states in 1956, South Canara and Bellary districts were merged with Mysore State to form Karnataka and Malabar district with the State of Travancore-Cochin to form Kerala in 1956.[5] The Tamil speaking regions of Kanyakumari which was earlier a part of Travancore-Cochin was merged to Madras state.[5] Madras state had 13 districts namely: Chingleput, Coimbatore, Kanyakumari, Madras, Madurai, Nilgiris, North Arcot, Ramanathapuram, Salem, South Arcot, Thanjavur, Tiruchirappalli and Tirunelveli.[6]
No. District Code Headquarters Estd. Predecessor Area (km2)[34] Population[34] Pop.
density
(/km2)Divisions[35] Taluks[35] Assembly constituencies Lok sabha constituencies Map 1 Ariyalur ARI Ariyalur 23 November 2007 Perambalur 2,027.6 754,894 372
- Andimadam
- Ariyalur
- Sendurai
- Udayarpalayam
![]()
2 Chengalpattu CHG Chengalpattu 29 November 2019 Kanchipuram 2,802.6 2,556,244 912
- Chengalpattu
- Madurantakam
- Tambaram
![]()
3 Chennai
(formerly Madras)CHN Chennai 1 November 1956 None 462.3 6,748,026 10,052
- Chennai Central
- Chennai North
- Chennai South
![]()
4 Coimbatore COI Coimbatore 1 November 1956 None 4,950.7 3,458,045 699
- Coimbatore North
- Coimbatore South
- Pollachi
![]()
5 Cuddalore CUD Cuddalore 30 September 1993 South Arcot District 3,870 2,605,914 673
- Bhuvanagiri
- Chidambaram
- Cuddalore
- Kattumannarkoil
- Kurinjipadi
- Panruti
- Srimushnam
- Titakudi
- Veppur
- Vriddachalam
![]()
6 Dharmapuri DHA Dharmapuri 2 October 1965 Salem 4,735.7 1,506,843 318 ![]()
7 Dindigul DIN Dindigul 15 September 1985 Madurai 6,289.1 2,159,775 343
- Athoor
- Dindigul-East
- Dindigul-West
- Gujiliamparai
- Kodaikanal
- Natham
- Nilakottai
- Oddanchattiram
- Palani
- Vedasandur
![]()
8 Erode ERO Erode 31 August 1979 Coimbatore 6,036 2,251,744 373 ![]()
9 Kallakurichi KAL Kallakurichi 26 November 2019 Viluppuram 3,440.8 1,370,281 398
- Kallakkurichi
- Thirukoilur
![]()
10 Kancheepuram KAC Kancheepuram 1 July 1997 Chingleput 1,800.2 1,166,401 648
- Kancheepuram
- Sriperumbudur
![]()
11 Kanyakumari KAY Nagercoil 1 November 1956 None 1,729.2 1,870,374 1,082
- Agastheeswaram
- Kalkulam
- Killiyoor
- Vilavancode
- Thiruvattar
- Thovalai
![]()
12 Karur KAR Karur 30 September 1995 Tiruchirappalli 3,022.3 1,064,493 352
- Aravakurichi
- Kadavur
- Karur
- Krishnarayapuram
- Kulithalai
- Manmangalam
- Pugalur
![]()
13 Krishnagiri KRI Krishnagiri 9 February 2004 Dharmapuri 5,414.4 1,883,731 348
- Anchetty
- Bargur
- Denkanikottai
- Hosur
- Krishnagiri
- Pochampalli
- Shoolagiri
- Uthangarai
![]()
14 Madurai MAD Madurai 1 November 1956 None 3,846.4 3,038,252 790
- Madurai
- Melur
- Usilampatti
- Madurai-East
- Madurai-North
- Madurai-South
- Madurai-West
- Kallikudi
- Melur
- Peraiyur
- Thirumangalam
- Thirupparankundram
- Usilampatti
- Vadipatti
![]()
15 Mayiladuthurai MAY Mayiladuthurai 28 December 2020 Nagapattinam 1,237.1 918,356 742
- Mayiladuthurai
- Sirkazhi
![]()
16 Nagapattinam NAG Nagapattinam 18 October 1991 Thanjavur 1,459 697,069 478
- Nagapattinam
- Vedaranyam
![]()
17 Namakkal NAM Namakkal 1 January 1997 Salem 3,573.4 1,726,601 483
- Kollimalai
- Kumarapalayam
- Mohanur
- Namakkal
- Paramathi-Velur
- Rasipuram
- Senthamangalam
- Thiruchengode
![]()
18 Nilgiris NIL Ooty 1 November 1956 None 2,452.5 735,394 300 ![]()
19 Perambalur PER Perambalur 30 September 1995 Tiruchirappalli 1,836.6 565,223 308 ![]()
20 Pudukkottai PUD Pudukkottai 14 January 1974 Thanjavur and Tiruchirappalli 4,847.8 1,618,345 334
- Aranthangi
- Illuppur
- Pudukkottai
![]()
21 Ramanathapuram RAM Ramanathapuram 1 November 1956 None 4,243.1 1,353,445 319
- Kadaladi
- Kamuthi
- Kilakarai
- Mudukulathur
- Paramakudi
- Rajasingamangalam
- Ramanathapuram
- Rameswaram
- Tiruvadanai
![]()
22 Ranipet RAN Ranipet 28 November 2019 Vellore 2,234.3 1,210,277 542
- Arakkonam
- Ranipet
![]()
23 Salem SAL Salem 1 November 1956 None 5,245 3,482,056 669 ![]()
24 Sivaganga SIV Sivaganga 15 March 1985 Ramanathapuram 4,086 1,339,101 328
- Devakottai
- Ilayangudi
- Kalayarkoil
- Karaikudi
- Manamadurai
- Singampunari
- Sivaganga
- Tirupathur
- Tiruppuvanam
![]()
25 Tenkasi TEN Tenkasi 22 November 2019 Tirunelveli 2,916.1 1,407,627 483
- Sankarankoil
- Tenkasi
- Alangulam
- Kadayanallur
- Sankarankoil
- Shenkottai
- Sivagiri
- Tenkasi
- Thiruvengadam
- Veerakeralampudur
![]()
26 Thanjavur THA Thanjavur 1 November 1956 None 3,396.6 2,405,890 708
- Budalur
- Kumbakonam
- Orathanadu
- Papanasam
- Pattukkottai
- Peravurani
- Thanjavur
- Thiruvaiyaru
- Thiruvidaimarudur
- Thiruvonam
![]()
27 Theni THE Theni 25 July 1996 Madurai 3,066 1,245,899 406 ![]()
28 Thoothukudi THO Thoothukudi 20 October 1986 Tirunelveli 4,621 1,750,176 379 ![]()
29 Tiruchirappalli TIC Tiruchirappalli 1 November 1956 None 4,407 2,722,290 618 ![]()
30 Tirunelveli TIN Tirunelveli 1 November 1956 None 3842.4 1,665,253 433
- Ambasamudram
- Cheranmahadevi
- Manur
- Nanguneri
- Palayamkottai
- Radhapuram
- Tisayanvilai
- Tirunelveli
![]()
31 Tirupathur TIA Tirupattur 28 November 2019 Vellore 1,792.9 1,111,812 620
- Tirupathur
- Vaniyambadi
- Ambur
- Natrampalli
- Tirupathur
- Vaniyambadi
![]()
32 Tiruppur TIP Tiruppur 22 February 2009 Coimbatore and Erode 5,186.3 2,479,052 478
- Avinashi
- Dharapuram
- Kangeyam
- Madathukulam
- Palladam
- Tiruppur North
- Tiruppur South
- Udumalaipettai
- Uthukuli
![]()
33 Tiruvallur TAL Tiruvallur 1 July 1997 Chingleput 3,444.2 3,728,104 1,082
- Avadi
- Gummidipoondi
- Pallipattu
- Ponneri
- Poonamallee
- R. K. Pettai
- Tiruttani
- Tiruvallur
- Uthukkottai
![]()
34 Tiruvannamalai TAN Tiruvannamalai 30 September 1989 North Arcot 6,191 2,464,875 398
- Aarani
- Cheyyar
- Tiruvannamalai
- Aarani
- Chengam
- Chetpet
- Cheyyar
- Jamunamarathur
- Kalasapakkam
- Kilpennathur
- Polur
- Thandarampattu
- Tiruvannamalai
- Vandavasi
- Vembakkam
![]()
35 Tiruvarur TAR Thiruvarur 1 January 1997 Nagapattinam and Thanjavur 2,161 1,264,277 585
- Koothanallur
- Kudavasal
- Mannargudi
- Nannilam
- Needamangalam
- Thiruthiraipoondi
- Tiruvarur
- Valangaiman
- Muthupet
![]()
36 Vellore VEL Vellore 30 September 1989 North Arcot 2,222.1 1,614,242 726
- Gudiyatham
- Vellore
- Anaicut
- Gudiyatham
- Pernampattu
- Katpadi
- Kilvaithinankuppam
- Vellore
![]()
37 Viluppuram VIL Viluppuram 30 September 1993 South Arcot 3,725.5 2,093,003 562
- Tindivanam
- Villupuram
- Gingee
- Kandachipuram
- Marakkanam
- Melmalaianur
- Tindivanam
- Vanur
- Vikravandi
- Villupuram
- Thiruvennainallur
![]()
38 Virudhunagar VIR Virudhunagar 15 March 1985 Ramanathapuram 4,288.0 1,942,288 453
- Aruppukkottai
- Sattur
- Sivakasi
- Aruppukkottai
- Kariapatti
- Rajapalayam
- Sattur
- Sivakasi
- Srivilliputhur
- Tiruchuli
- Virudhunagar
- Watrap
- Vembakottai
![]()
District | Span | Successor districts | Map |
---|---|---|---|
Chingleput | 1956–98 | Kanchipuram, Chengalpattu and Tiruvallur | ![]() |
North Arcot | 1956–89 | Tiruvannamalai, Vellore, Ranipet and Tirupattur | ![]() |
South Arcot | 1956–93 | Cuddalore, Villupuram and Kallakurichi | ![]() |