Malappuram is a town in Kerala and the headquarters of the Malappuram district in Kerala, India. It is the 4th largest urban agglomeration in Kerala and the 20th largest in India, spread over an area of 158.20 km2 including the surrounding suburban areas. The first municipality in the district formed in 1970, Malappuram serves as the administrative headquarters of Malappuram district. Divided into 40 electoral wards, the town has a population density of 4,800 per square kilometre.