Krishnagiri district is an administrative district in the north-western part of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Bordering Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, it forms part of the state's gateway to the Bengaluru metropolitan region. The district headquarters is the town of Krishnagiri, which lies on National Highway 44 (the Chennai–Bengaluru corridor). The district is widely known for mango cultivation, granite quarrying, and a mix of dryland agriculture and emerging industry.
| State | Tamil Nadu |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Krishnagiri |
| Region | North-western Tamil Nadu (Kongu/Salem region fringe) |
| Formation | 9 February 2004 (carved out of Dharmapuri district) |
| Bordering states | Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh |
| Neighbouring districts | Dharmapuri, Salem, Tiruvannamalai, Vellore, Tirupattur |
| Major highway | NH 44 (Chennai–Bengaluru) |
| Known for | Mangoes, granite, sericulture |
Krishnagiri district was constituted on 9 February 2004 when the erstwhile Dharmapuri district was bifurcated. The creation of the new district was intended to bring administration closer to the predominantly rural population of the northern taluks of the old Dharmapuri district, which lay along the Tamil Nadu–Karnataka border.
The name Krishnagiri is generally understood to derive from the dark granite hills (Krishna meaning black, giri meaning hill) that characterise the landscape around the headquarters town.
The district lies on the Mysore Plateau's eastern edge and consists of an undulating terrain of granite hills, scrub forest, and agricultural plains. The major river is the Thenpennai (South Pennar), which flows through the district. The Kelavarapalli and Krishnagiri reservoirs, both built across the Thenpennai, are important sources of irrigation and drinking water. The climate is generally drier and cooler than the Tamil Nadu plains owing to its elevation, with parts of the district receiving rainfall from both the south-west and north-east monsoons.
The district is divided into revenue divisions and taluks for administrative purposes, with Krishnagiri serving as the seat of the District Collectorate. Important towns within the district include Krishnagiri, Hosur, Bargur, Denkanikottai, Pochampalli, Uthangarai, and Shoolagiri. Hosur, located close to the Karnataka border, is the principal urban and industrial centre of the district.
Agriculture remains the backbone of the rural economy. Krishnagiri is among the largest mango-producing districts in India, and the region is particularly known for varieties such as Alphonso, Banganapalli, Neelum, and Totapuri, supplying both fresh markets and pulp-processing units. Other significant activities include:
National Highway 44 traverses the district, linking Krishnagiri and Hosur to Bengaluru in the north and to Salem and Chennai in the south. NH 48 connects Krishnagiri towards Chennai via Vellore. The district is served by railway stations at Hosur and Krishnagiri, while the nearest major airport is Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru.
The district has a mix of Tamil and Kannada cultural influences owing to its border location. Notable sites include:
Owing to its position on the Chennai–Bengaluru industrial corridor and its border with Karnataka, Krishnagiri district has strategic importance for inter-state trade, logistics, and industrial development in Tamil Nadu. The Hosur belt, in particular, has emerged as an extension of the Bengaluru manufacturing ecosystem, while the rural taluks remain central to Tamil Nadu's mango and granite economies.