Palamau is one of the twenty-four districts of Jharkhand state, India. The district is currently a part of the Red Corridor.

The town is named after Colonel Dalton, Commissioner of Chhota Nagpur in 1861.

The district lies between 23°50′ and 24°8′ north latitude and between 83°55′ and 84°30′ east longitude. It is bordered on the north by Son and Bihar rivers, on the east by the Chatra and Hazaribagh districts, on the south by Latehar District and on the west by Garhwa District.

The district covers an area of 5043.8 km² and has a population of 1,533,176. Daltonganj, situated on the North Koel river in the district headquarters.

In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Palamu one of the country's 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640). It is one of the 24 districts in Jharkhand currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).

According to the 2011 census Palamu district has a population of 1,936,319, roughly equal to the nation of Lesotho or the US state of West Virginia. This gives it a ranking of 243rd in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of 381 inhabitants per square kilometre (990 /sq mi) . Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 25.94 %. Palamu has a sex ratio of 929 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 65.5 %.