Karnataka District List 2026: Karnataka has 31 districts spread across four administrative divisions. The newest one is Vijayanagara, which was officially recognized on November 18, 2020. The list below carries every district name along with its population and area figures.
Karnataka was formed on November 1, 1956, first as Mysore State, and its capital is Bangalore (Bengaluru). The state covers 191,791 square kilometers, has a population of 61,130,704 as per the 2011 census, and a literacy rate of about 75.36%. No new district has been added since Vijayanagara, so the 2026 list stays at 31 districts.
Karnataka District List 2026
Karnataka is split into four administrative divisions to manage its main regions. These are the coastal belt known as Karavalli, the Western Ghats hill region known as Malenadu, and the Deccan Plateau area known as Bayalu Seeme.
Each district is headed by a Deputy Commissioner from the Indian Administrative Service. The district list below shows all 31 names with their 2011 population and area in square kilometers.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Name of State | Karnataka |
| Capital | Bangalore (Bengaluru) |
| Official Language | Kannada |
| Chief Minister | DK Shivakumar |
| Governor | Thaawarchand Gehlot |
| Total Districts | 31 |
| Administrative Divisions | 4 |
| State Animal | Indian Elephant |
| State Bird | Indian Roller |
| State Flower | Lotus |
| State Tree | Sandalwood |
| Official Website | karnataka.gov.in |
One recent change worth noting is the language status. In September 2026, Tulu was declared the second additional official language for Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts. A decision on renaming Dakshina Kannada district as Mangaluru district is still being discussed.
Karnataka District List with Population and Area
| S.NO | District Name | Population (2011) | Area (km²) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bagalkot | 1,890,826 | 6,583 |
| 2 | Ballari | 1,400,970 | 4,252 |
| 3 | Bangalore Rural | 987,257 | 2,239 |
| 4 | Bangalore Urban | 9,588,910 | 2,190 |
| 5 | Belgaum | 4,778,439 | 13,415 |
| 6 | Bidar | 1,700,018 | 5,448 |
| 7 | Bijapur | 2,175,102 | 10,517 |
| 8 | Chamarajanagara | 1,020,962 | 5,102 |
| 9 | Chikkaballapura | 1,254,377 | 4,208 |
| 10 | Chikmagalur | 1,137,753 | 7,201 |
| 11 | Chitradurga | 1,660,378 | 8,437 |
| 12 | Dakshina Kannada | 2,083,625 | 4,559 |
| 13 | Davanagere | 1,946,905 | 5,926 |
| 14 | Dharwad | 1,846,993 | 4,265 |
| 15 | Gadag | 1,065,235 | 4,651 |
| 16 | Gulbarga | 2,564,892 | 10,990 |
| 17 | Hassan | 1,776,221 | 6,814 |
| 18 | Haveri | 1,598,506 | 4,825 |
| 19 | Kodagu | 554,762 | 4,102 |
| 20 | Kolar | 1,540,231 | 4,012 |
| 21 | Koppal | 1,391,292 | 5,565 |
| 22 | Mandya | 1,808,680 | 4,961 |
| 23 | Mysore | 2,994,744 | 6,854 |
| 24 | Raichur | 1,924,773 | 6,839 |
| 25 | Ramanagara | 1,082,739 | 3,573 |
| 26 | Shimoga | 1,755,512 | 8,495 |
| 27 | Tumakuru | 2,681,449 | 10,598 |
| 28 | Udupi | 1,177,908 | 3,879 |
| 29 | Uttara Kannada | 1,353,299 | 10,291 |
| 30 | Vijayanagara | 1,353,628 | 5,644 |
| 31 | Yadgir | 1,172,985 | 5,225 |
For a district wise view of assembly constituencies, you can check the Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer website. The same portal also hosts the Karnataka Voter List district wise PDFs.
Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer
Smallest and Largest Districts in Karnataka by Area
Bangalore Urban District is the smallest district, while Belgaum District holds the title for the largest district in Karnataka.
Largest District (Belgaum) Area: 13,415 square kilometers.
Smallest District (Bangalore Urban) Area: 2,190 square kilometers.
Karnataka District Map
The map above shows all 31 districts with their boundaries. It helps in quickly spotting which district sits in which division, from the coastal belt in the west to the plateau districts in the east.
Other Karnataka Lists to Check
Along with the district list, many readers also look for other state level lists. The Karnataka IPS Officers List carries the civil list PDF and latest postings. The List of Dams in Karnataka gives names, rivers and locations. For state holidays, the Karnataka Government Holidays List is updated every year. The Karnataka New Ministers List covers the current cabinet.