Kerala Districts
Discover the unique charm and heritage of all 14 districts in God's Own Country, from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod.
Kerala at a Glance
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram district includes Kerala's capital city, the Technopark campus, and coastal destinations such as Kovalam and Varkala.
Key Attractions
Kollam
Kollam is a coastal district with a long association with maritime trade, a cashew and coir industry, and destinations including Ashtamudi Lake, Thenmala and Palaruvi Waterfalls.
Area: the District Administration lists 2,491 sq km without a reference year; a separate 2014 report lists 248,788 hectares (2,487.88 sq km).
Key Attractions
Pathanamthitta
Explore Pathanamthitta, home to Sabarimala and Aranmula. Find district geography, major rivers, forests and Census 2011 population, literacy, sex ratio and density.
Population, literacy, sex ratio and density are Census 2011 figures.
Key Attractions
Alappuzha
Alappuzha has a coastal landscape, the low-lying Kuttanad farming region and waterways linked to Vembanad Lake.
Area follows the District Profile (1,414 sq km); the Demography page gives 1,415 sq km. Population, density and sex ratio are Census 2011 figures.
Key Attractions
Kottayam
Kottayam is known for its contributions to education, publishing and literature, as well as its rubber plantations, backwaters, hills and diverse religious heritage.
Area: Kerala Economics & Statistics lists 2,204 sq km; the District Administration lists 2,208 sq km. Population and literacy are Census 2011 figures.
Key Attractions
Idukki
Idukki covers 4,612 sq km in the Western Ghats, with extensive forest cover, plantation crops and hydroelectric projects.
Area follows the current District Administration and Kerala Economics & Statistics profiles. Population, literacy and sex ratio are labelled as 2011 profile values.
Key Attractions
Ernakulam
Ernakulam includes Kochi and Kakkanad, with coastal, backwater and inland areas. The District Administration describes it as a centre for industry, trade and commerce.
Area follows Ecostat (3,058 sq km); District Administration pages list 2,407 sq km and, on an older Infrastructure page, 3,608 sq km. Literacy follows Ecostat (95.89%); Demography reports 97.05%. Population and literacy are Census 2011 values.
Key Attractions
Thrissur
Central Kerala district identified by its administration as Kerala’s cultural capital, and the setting for Thrissur Pooram.
Main figures follow Kerala Economics & Statistics: area 3,030 sq km and population 3,121,200 (Census 2011). The District Administration reports 3,032 sq km and 3,110,327 population; its Demography page gives 92.27% literacy. Ecostat lists 95.32% literacy and 1,026/km² density (not 1,031); the District Profile gives a sex ratio of 1,109 versus Ecostat’s 1,108.
Key Attractions
Palakkad
Agricultural district with paddy fields, Palmyrahs and Western Ghats landscapes. The District Administration describes Palakkad as one of Kerala's main granaries, with the Palakkad Gap connecting the region with Tamil Nadu.
Main figures follow Kerala Ecostat: area 4,476 sq km, population 2,809,934 (Census 2011) and literacy 89.31% (Census 2011). Basic Details lists the headquarters as Palakkad Town and a sex ratio of 1,067 females per 1,000 males. Ecostat reports 4,476 sq km, while Palakkad District Administration pages report 4,480–4,482 sq km. ListKerala uses the current Ecostat district-profile figure for consistency; this does not resolve the underlying official-source discrepancy.
Key Attractions
Malappuram
Most populous district in Kerala by Census 2011 population, known for its varied landscape, cultural heritage, educational institutions and historic traditions.
Population 4,112,920 is the Census 2011 figure and the basis for the “most populous” description. Ecostat reports area 3,554 sq km while District Administration pages report 3,550 sq km. The District Administration gives the formation date as 16 June 1969; the current Ecostat profile displays 16 June 1970. The main page follows 1969, also stated in History and District at a Glance. These source discrepancies are documented, not resolved.
Key Attractions
Kozhikode
Historic Malabar coastal district known for its maritime heritage, beaches, cultural traditions, literature and cuisine.
Key Attractions
Wayanad
A highland district in the Western Ghats known for its forests, wildlife, spice and plantation agriculture, tribal heritage and archaeological sites.
The principal area figure follows Kerala Ecostat and District Administration Demography at 2,130 sq km. Older Ecostat statistical material reports approximately 2,131 sq km or 2,129.66 sq km, while the District Administration History page still states 2,132 sq km; the discrepancy is unresolved. Population is 817,420 (Census 2011).
Key Attractions
Kannur
Kannur is a coastal district in northern Kerala known for its handloom sector, Theyyam and other folk traditions, historic sites, beaches, agriculture and its role in the region’s freedom movement.
Area figures vary slightly across Kerala Government sources: the District Administration About District page lists 2,966 km², while the Kerala Department of Economics & Statistics district profile lists 2,971 sq km. Population 2,523,003 is the Census 2011 figure; Ecostat rounds it to 2,523,000.
Key Attractions
Kasaragod
Kerala’s northernmost district, bordered by the Western Ghats to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west.
Ecostat and the Demography profile list 1,992 sq km; its Census Abstracts table reports 1,989 sq km for 1991, 2001 and 2011. Population, literacy and sex ratio are Census 2011 figures.