List of Districts in Odisha 2024

List of Districts in Odisha: The list of districts in Odisha shows a total number of 30 districts. Located on the eastern coast of India, Odisha’s capital is Bhubaneswar which lies in the Khordha district. Odisha is further divided into 30 administrative geographical units called districts. The state of Odisha was established on 1st April 1936. Odisha has a total area of 155,707 km².

In this Article we are going to learn about the List of Districts in Odisha, Administrative Divisions of Odisha.

List of Districts in Odisha

Odisha lies on the eastern coast of India, with an area of 155,707 km² . There are a total of 30 administrative geographical units called districts. Each of these districts are placed under three different revenue divisions to have better governance.

In a district, it is the Collector & District Magistrate who are responsible for revenue collection and maintenance of law and order. Each District is further separated into Sub-Divisions, which are governed by a Sub-Collector & Sub-Divisional Magistrate. The sub-divisions are further divided into Tahasils. A Tahasildar heads a tahasil. Odisha has 3 Divisions, 30 Districts, 58 Sub-Divisions, 317 Tahasils and 314 Blocks.

List of Districts in Odisha Map

List of districts in Odisha

Administrative Divisions of Odisha

Odisha consists of a total number of 30 districts which are under the governance of 3 different revenue divisions which are the: Northern, Central and Southern. Cuttack is the headquarters of the Central Division, Sambalpur is the headquarters of the Northern Division and Berhampur is the headquarters of the Southern Division.

Each of the 3 divisions have 10 districts each, with an administrative head who is the Revenue Divisional Commissioner. Given below are the 3 divisions, their respective districts and headquarters:

Division	District	Headquarters
Northern	Angul Balangir Bargarh Deogarh Dhenkanal Jharsuguda Kendujhar Sambalpur Subarnapur Sundargarh	Sambalpur
Central	Balasore Bhadrak Cuttack Jagatsinghpur Jajpur Kendrapada Khordha Mayurbhanj Nayagarh Puri	Cuttack
Southern	Boudh Gajapati Ganjam Kalahandi Kandhamal Koraput Malkangiri Nabarangpur Nuapada Rayagada	Berhampur

List of Districts in Odisha

In Odisha, there are a total of 30 Districts. Area wise, Mayurbhanj is the largest district and Jagatsinghpur is the smallest district. Whereas, by Population it is Ganjam which is the largest district and Deogarh, the smallest district in Odisha.

Odisha’s capital Bhubaneswar is located in the Khordha district. Given below is a list of the 30 districts in Odisha, when they were established, their headquarters, population as per 2011 Census and their respective areas.

Code	District	Headquarters	Formation Day	Population (as per 2011 Census)	Area (km2)
1	Angul	Angul	1st April, 1993	1,273,821	6,375
2	Balangir	Balangir	1st November, 1949	1,648,997	6,575
3	Balasore	Balasore	October 1828	2,320,529	3,634
4	Bargarh	Bargarh	April 1, 1993	1,481,255	5,837
5	Bhadrak	Bhadrak	April 1, 1993	1,506,337	2,505
6	Boudh	Boudh	Jan 2, 1994	441,162	3444.8
7	Cuttack	Cuttack		2,624,470	3,932
8	Debagarh	Debagarh	Jan 1, 1994	312,520	2,782
9	Dhenkanal	Dhenkanal		1,192,811	4,452
10	Gajapati	Paralakhemundi	Oct 2, 1992	577,817	3,850
11	Ganjam	Chhatrapur		3,529,031	8,206
12	Jagatsinghpur	Jagatsinghpur	Apr 1, 1993	1,136,971	1,759
13	Jajpur	Jajpur	Apr 1, 1993	1,827,192	2887.69
14	Jharsuguda	Jharsuguda	Jan 1, 1994	579,505	2,081
15	Kalahandi	Bhawanipatna	Jan 1, 1948	1,576,869	7,920
16	Kandhamal	Phulbani	Jan 1, 1994	733,110	7,654
17	Kendrapara	Kendrapara	Apr 1, 1993	1,440,361	2,644
18	Kendujhar	Kendujhar	Jan 1, 1948	1,801,733	8,303
19	Khordha	Khordha	Apr 1, 1993	2,251,673	2,813
20	Koraput	Koraput	Apr 1, 1936	1,379,647	8,807
21	Malkangiri	Malkangiri	Oct 2, 1992	613,192	5,791
22	Mayurbhanj	Baripada	Jan 1, 1949	2,519,738	10,418
23	Nabarangpur	Nabarangapur	Oct 2, 1992	1,220,946	5,294
24	Nayagarh	Nayagarh	Apr 1, 1993	962,789	3,890
25	Nuapada	Nuapada	Apr 1, 1993	610,382	3,852
26	Puri	Puri		1,698,730	3,051
27	Rayagada	Rayagada	Oct 2, 1992	967,911	7,073
28	Sambalpur	Sambalpur		1,041,099	6,702
29	Subarnapur	Subarnapur	Apr 1, 1993	610,183	2,337
30	Sundargarh	Sundargarh	Jan 1, 1948	2,093,437	9,712

Largest District of Odisha

Area wise, Mayurbhanj having an area of 10,418 km² is the largest district in Odisha. In terms of Population, Ganjam is the largest district in Odisha, with a population of 3,529,031.

Mayurbhanj district is the largest district in Odisha with a total area of 10,418 km². It is rich in terms of history and cultural significance. Named after two medieval ruling dynasties, Mayura and Bhanja, Mayurbhanj district’s headquarters are located in Baripada, with major towns: Rairangpur, Karanjia, and Bahalda. The famous Simlipal National Park is located here. Mayurbhanj has a diverse geography, including plains, hills, and forests.

Ganjam is the largest district in Odisha in terms of population. It has located in the southern part of Odisha and is famous for having a diverse demography and cultural heritage. Ganjam derives its name from the word “Ganj-i-am” meaning Granary of the world. Sources reveal that it is names after the Old Ganjam town that was located on Rushikulya river’s northern bank. It used to be a part of the famous Kalinga empire as is indicated by King Ashoka’s rock edicts and inscriptions.

Smallest District of Odisha

Deogarh is the smallest district of Odisha by population. Jagatsinghpur is the smallest district by area.

Debagarh also known as Deogarh, a city in Odisha located in its North-Western side was on 1 January 1994, after being bifurcated from the Sambalpur District. Debagarh is the former capital of Bamanda or Bamra princely state of British India. It is known as the “waterfall town” of Odisha.

The smallest district of Odisha in terms of area is the Jagatsinghpur district, spreading across an area of 1,759 square kilometres is Odisha’s smallest district by area. It was formed on 1 April 1993. Having more-than-average literacy rate, Jagatsinghpur is one of the most developed districts in Odisha. It has a rich cultural heritage and plays a major role in the socio-economic development of Odisha. Traditionally known as Hariharpur, at one point of time, Jagatsinghpur was one of the buzzing centres of maritime trade for centuries.

Proposed Districts in Odisha

There is a plan, that proposes creation of 7 more districts in Odisha, by carving it out from other districts. Given below, are the proposed districts of Odisha.

• Bhubaneswar from Khordha District

• Rourkela from Sundargarh District

• Anandpur from Kendujhar District

• Padampur from Bargarh District

• Rairangpur from Mayurbhanj District

• Titlagarh from Balangir District

• Bhanjanagar from Ganjam District

Interesting Facts about Odisha

Odisha formerly known as Orissa, is the 8th largest state by area and 11th largest state by population. Some interesting facts about this eastern state, are given below:

• One of the classical dances of India that is Odissi is from Odisha. It is the oldest dance form of India.

• The magnificent Konark Sun Temple is one of the finest examples of craftsmanship, architecture and creativity that is situated in Odisha.

• Odisha’s capital Bhubaneswar, has many famous temples. It is known as the temple city of India.

• In the Bargarh district of Odisha, Dhanu Yatra is celebrated which is the world’s largest open-air theatre.

• Asia’s largest village, Bhuban, is in Odisha.

• From all across the globe, people visit the Jagannath Temple, one of the Char Dhams in India. The Jagannath temple is said to have the world’s largest kitchen which feeds many people on a daily basis.

• The Simlipal National Park, a tiger reserve located in Odisha has all types and varieties of orchids from around the world.

• Chilika Lake, is the largest brackish water lagoon of Asia that witnesses many migratory birds from around the world.

• The famous Chandipur beach of Odisha attracts many visitors.

• Nandankanan Zoological Park located in Odisha, has the only white tiger safari and the largest lion safari.

• Some famous missiles like the Agni missile, Akash missile, and Prithvi missile have been tested on Odisha’s Wheeler Island.

• Daringbadi, known as the ‘Kashmir of Odisha’ receives unexpected snowfall in winters.

• Dhamra Port, located in Odisha is the deepest port in India after Gujarat port.

• Hirakud Dam, in Odisha is the longest earthen dam in the world.

• Odisha’s Odia language is spoken in other countries as well like in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Burma, Malaysia, Indonesia, Bangladesh, and other countries.

Conclusion

The state of Odisha was established on 1st April, 1936. Odisha has a total area of 155,707 km². Each of the districts in Odisha come under three different revenue divisions so that they can be governed in a better manner. There are a total of 30 districts in Odisha, the largest being Mayurbhanj by area and Ganjam by Population.

Odisha’s capital Bhubaneswar is located in the Khordha district. While Jagatsinghpur by area is the smallest district in Odisha and Deogarh the smallest district by Population. Odisha is the 8th largest state by area and 11th largest by population in India, with a total area spanning 155,707 km².

People Also View:

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• List of Districts of India State-Wise [2024 Updated]

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FAQs on List of Districts in Odisha

How many districts does Odisha have?

There are a total of 30 districts in Odisha.

Which is the largest district in Odisha?

The Largest district in Odisha is:

Area Wise: Mayurbhanj

Population Wise: Ganjam

Which is the smallest district in Odisha?

The Smallest district in Odisha is:

Area Wise: Jagatsinghpur

Population Wise: Deogarh

When was the state of Odisha formed?

The state of Odisha was established on 1st April, 1936.

What is the total area of Odisha?

Odisha has a total area of 155,707 km².