Malappuram district (/mʌlʌppʊrʌm dʒɪlla/) is a district in the state of Kerala, south India with headquarters at the town of Malappuram. The district was formed on 16 June 1969.

The classic medieval center of Vedic learning and local politics, Thirunavaya, home of the traditional Ayurveda medicine, Kottakkal and one of the oldest centre of education of Islam the region, Ponnani are situated in Malappuram district along with rapidly expanding towns like Manjeri, Perinthalmanna, Chemmad and Edappal. In 1921, present day Malappuram district witnessed a series of devastating revolts and massacres known as the Moplah rebellions, followed by decades of frozen economical, social, and political development. In the early years of the Communist rule in Kerala, Malappuram saw large land reforms under the Land Reform Ordinance. In the 1970s, huge oil reserves of Persian gulf were opened to commercial extraction, and thousands of unskilled people migrated to "the Gulf" seeking fortunes. They sent money home, propping up a sleepy rural economy, and by late 20th century, the region had achieved first-world health standards and near universal literacy. The present development, both economical and social, of the Malappuram District owes to the Kerala Gulf diaspora.

Malappuram is a city in the southern Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 33.61 km². The first Municipality in the district formed in the year 1970, Malappuram serves as the administrative headquarters of Malappuram district. Divided into 40 electoral wards, city has a density of population of 1478 per km². As per the 2011 census Malappuram Urban Agglomeration is the fourth largest urban agglomeration in Kerala state with a total population of 16,98,645. Malappuram, in malayalam, means 'On top of the hills'. Malappuram is situated 50 km southeast of Kozhikode and 90 km northwest of Palakkad on the Kozhikode (Calicut) - Chennai road (NH 213) which joins NH 47 in Palakkad.