The southern Indian state of Karnataka consists of 31 districts grouped into 4 administrative divisions, viz., Belagavi, Bengaluru, Gulbarga, and Mysore. Geographically, the state has three principal variants: the western coastal stretch, the hilly belt comprising the Western Ghats, and the plains, comprising the plains of the Deccan Plateau.
History
Karnataka took its present shape in 1956, when the former states of Mysore and Coorg were unified into a linguistically homogenous Kannada-speaking state along with agglomeration of districts of the former states of Bombay, Hyderabad, and Madras as part of the States Reorganisation Act of 1956. The unified Mysore State was made up of ten districts, viz., Bangalore, Kolar, Tumkur, Mandya, Mysore, Hassan, Chikkamagalur, Shimoga, Chitradurga, and Ballari which had been transferred from Madras Presidency to Mysore State earlier in 1953, when the new state of Andhra Pradesh was created out of Madras' northern districts. Coorg State became Kodagu district, South Canara was transferred from Madras State, North Canara, Dharwad, Belgaum, and Bijapur from Bombay State. Bidar, Gulbarga, and Raichur from Hyderabad State. The state received its new name of Karnataka in the year 1973.
Formations of districts +Chronology of formation of new districtsDateNew districtFormerly part ofAdministration15 August 1986Bengaluru UrbanBengaluruRamakrishna Hegde's ministryBengaluru Rural25 August 1997ChamarajanagaraMysuruJ. H. Patel's ministryDavanagereChitradurga, Ballari and ShivamoggaBagalakoteVijayapuraGadagaDharwadUdupiDakshina KannadaKoppalaRaichur21 June 2007RamanagaraBengaluru RuralH.D. Kumaraswamy's ministryChikkaballapuraKolar30 December 2009YadagiriKalaburagiB.S. Yediyurappa's second ministry18 November 2020VijayanagaraBallariB.S. Yediyurappa's fourth ministry
Administrative structure
District administration A district of an Indian state is an administrative geographical unit, headed by a Deputy Commissioner (DC), an officer belonging to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS). The Deputy Commissioner reports to the Regional Commissioner. The Deputy Commissioner is also the Collector and District Magistrate of the district. The Deputy Commissioner is assisted by an Additional Deputy Commissioner at the district headquarters. The deputy commissioner is assisted by a number of officers belonging to the Karnataka Administrative Service. The deputy commissioner/collector is assisted by assistant commissioners and tahsildars, who are incharge of subdivisions and taluks respectively. The district (revenue district) is divided into subdivisions. Each subdivision consists of several talukas under its administrative purview. Each subdivision is headed by a Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO), who holds the designation of Assistant Commissioner and Sub-Divisional Magistrate. Each taluka is headed by a Tahsildar. These subdivisions and talukas are established for land revenue and land administration purposes. Each taluk contains hobli and villages, headed by Revenue Inspectors and Village Accountants respectively.
Police administration A Superintendent of Police (SP), usually an officer belonging to the Indian Police Service (IPS), is entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining law and order and related issues of the district. He is assisted by the officers of the Karnataka Police Service and other Karnataka Police officials. Big cities like Bengaluru, Belagavi, Hubballi-Dharwad, Kalaburagi, Mangaluru and Mysuru are headed by a Commissioner of Police holding the rank of Additional Director General of Police(ADGP) for Bengaluru, Inspector General of Police (IGP) for Mysuru and Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) for Belagavi, Hubballi-Dharwad, Kalaburagi and Mangaluru. They are assisted by officers belonging to the Karnataka Police Service (KSPS).
Forest A Deputy Conservator of Forests, an officer belonging to the Indian Forest Service selected through the UPSC examination is responsible for managing the forests, the environment and wildlife of the district. He is assisted by the officers of the Karnataka Forest Service selected through the KPSC examination.
Other department Sectoral development is looked after by the district head of each development department such as Public Works, Health, Education, Agriculture, Animal husbandry, etc. These officers belong to the various state services.
Administrative divisions Belagavi Division Bengaluru Division Kalaburagi Division Mysuru Division Belagavi (Headquarters) Bagalkote Dharwada Gadaga Haveri Uttara Kannada (Karavara) Vijayapura Bengaluru Urban (Headquarters) Bengaluru North (Doddaballapura) Bengaluru South (Ramanagara) Chikkaballapura Chitradurga Davanagere Kolar Shivamogga Tumakuru Kalaburagi (Headquarters) Ballari Bidar Koppala Raichuru Vijayanagara (Hospete) Yadagiri Mysuru (Headquarters) Chamarajanagara Chikkamagaluru Dakshina Kannada (Mangaluru) Hassan Kodagu (Madikeri) Mandya Udupi
Alphabetical listing of districts
CodeDistrict HeadquartersEstablishedHere 'Established' means year of establishment as a district of Karnataka. If the district was formed earlier to the formation of district in the state of Karnataka, 1 November 1956 will be considered as the day of establishment of the district.Subdivisions (Taluka)Population()AreaPopulation density()MapBAG Bagalkote Bagalkote15 August 1997 Badami Bagalkote Bilagi Ilkal Hunagunda Rabkavi Banhatti Guledgudda Jamkhandi Mudhol1,889,752 BEU Bengaluru Urban Bengaluru1 November 1956 Bengaluru Anekal Yelahanka Kengeri Krishnaraja Pura Sarjapura9,621,551BENBengaluru NorthDoddaballapura15 August 1986 Doddaballapura Devanahalli Hosakote Nelamangala Dabaspete Dodda Belavangala990,923BESBengaluru SouthRamanagara10 September 2007Ramanagara Bidadi Channapatna Kanakapura Harohalli Kodihalli Magadi Kuduru Huliyurdurga Kunigal1,082,636BEL BelagaviBelgaum1 November 1956Athni Bailhongal Belgaum Chikodi Gokak Hukkeri Khanapur Kagawad Mudalagi Nippani Kittur Raybag Ramdurg Saundatti Yaragatti4,779,661BAL BallariBallari1 November 1956Bellari Kampli Kurugodu Sanduru Siruguppa1,400,970BID BidarBidar1 November 1956Bidar Basavakalyan Kamalnagar Hulasuru Chitgoppa Bhalki Homnabad Aurad1,703,300VIJ BijapurBijapur1 November 1956Vijayapura Indi Muddebihal Babaleshwar Nidagundi Tikota Devara Hippargi Talikote Chadchan Kolhar Sindgi Basavana Bagevadi Almel2,177,331CHA ChamarajanagaraChamarajanagara15 August 1997Chamarajanagar Gundlupet Kollegal Hanur Yelandur1,020,791CHI ChikkaballapuraChikkaballapur10 September 2007Bagepalli Chikballapur Chintamani Gauribidanur Gudibanda Sidlaghatta Manchenahalli1,255,104CHKChikmagalurChikmagalur1 November 1956Chikmagalur Kadur Koppa Mudigere Kalasa Narasimharajapura Sringeri Ajjampura Tarikere1,137,961CHTChitradurgaChitradurga1 November 1956Challakere Chitradurga Hiriyur Holalkere Hosadurga Molakalmuru1,659,456DAK Dakshina KannadaMangaluru1 November 1956Bantwal Beltangadi Mangaluru Moodabidri Kadaba Puttur Sulya2,089,649DAVDavanagereDavanagere15 August 1997Channagiri Davanagere Harihar Honnali Jagalur Nyamati1,643,494DHA DhārawaḍaDhārawaḍa1 November 1956Annigeri Alnavara Dharwad Hubli Hubli City Kalghatgi Kundgol Navalgund1,847,023GADGadagGadag24 August 1997Gadag-Betigeri Mundargi Nargund Gajendragad Lakshmeshwar Ron Shirhatti1,064,570KALKalaburagiKalaburagi1 November 1956Afzalpur Aland Chincholi Chitapur Kalaburagi Kamalapura Kalagi Jevargi Sedam Shahbad Yedrami2,566,326HASHassanHassan1 November 1956Alur Arkalgud Arsikere Belur Channarayapattana Hassan Holenarsipur Sakleshpur1,776,421HAVHaveriHaveri24 August 1997Byadgi Hangal Haveri Hirekerur Ranibennur Rattihalli Savanur Shiggaon1,597,668KOD KodaguMadikeri1 November 1956Madikeri Kushalanagar Virajpet Somvarpet Ponnampet554,519KLKolāraKolāra1 November 1956Bangarapet Kolar Kolar Gold Fields Malur Mulbagal Srinivaspur1,536,401KOPKoppalKoppal24 August 1997Gangawati Kanakagiri Kuknur Karatagi Koppal Kushtagi Yelbarga1,389,920MANMandyaMandya1 November 1956Note: This date means the day when the district was initially formed, even before the formation of the state of Karnataka (Mysore). Hence 1 November 1956 will be considered as the day of formation of district in the state of KarnatakaKrishnarajpet Maddur Malavalli Mandya Nagamangala Pandavapura Shrirangapattana1,805,769MYSMysuruMysuru1 November 1956Heggadadevana kote Hunsur Krishnarajanagara Mysore Nanjangud Piriyapatna Saragur T.Narsipur3,001,127RAIRaichurRaichur1 November 1956Devadurga Lingsugur Manvi Maski Raichur Sindhnur Sirwar1,928,812SHIShivamoggaShivamogga1 November 1956Bhadravati Hosanagara Sagar Shikaripura Shimoga Sorab Thirthahalli1,752,753TUMTumakuruTumakuru1 November 1956Chiknayakanhalli Gubbi Koratagere Kunigal Madhugiri Pavagada Sira Tiptur Tumkur Turuvekere2,678,980UDUUdupiUdupi25 August 1997Udupi Brahmavara Karkal Kapu Kundapura Hebri Byndoor1,177,361UTKUttara KannadaKarwar1 November 1956Ankola Bhatkal Dandeli Haliyal Honnavar Joida Karwar Kumta Mundgod Siddapur Sirsi Yellapur1,437,169VIJVijayanagaraHosapete18 November 2020Harapanahalli Hagaribommanahalli Hoovina Hadagali Hospete Kottur Kudligi1,353,628YADYadgiriYadgiri30 December 2009Gurumitkal Hunasagi Shahpur Shorapur Vadagera Yadgir1,174,271
Proposals for new districts
In Karnataka, demands for the administrative bifurcation of large or highly populated districts have been raised by various local committees and political representatives. As of early 2026, the state government has been evaluating proposals to divide several existing districts to reduce travel distances to administrative headquarters and streamline the delivery of public services.Karnataka Govt Considers Division of Five Districts, marvelousbelgaum.in, 18 December 2025.