Urban local bodies in Tamil Nadu, consisting of municipal corporations, municipalities, and town panchayats, have been established by the Government of Tamil Nadu in accordance with the Constitution of India. Municipal corporations cater to larger urban areas, municipalities serve smaller urban areas, and town panchayats cater to areas that are under transition from rural to urban. As of 2026, there are 25 municipal corporations, 148 municipalities and 490 town panchayats in Tamil Nadu.
Municipal Corporations
A municipal corporation is headed by a mayor, who presides over elected councilors representing individual wards. Chennai Corporation, established in 1688, is the oldest urban body in India and is the second oldest corporation in the world after London. As of 2026, there are 25 municipal corporations in Tamil Nadu.
Municipalities Municipalities are classified into four categories based on their annual income.
+Classification of municipalitiesClassificationAnnual IncomeCountSpecial GradeExceeding Rs.100 million16Selection GradeBetween Rs. 60 to 100 million29Grade IBetween Rs. 40 to 60 million31Grade IIBelow Rs. 40 million62
Their elected representatives include ward councilors and a presiding officer, Municipal Chairperson. Municipal Commissioner is the executive authority. As of 2025, there are 138 municipalities in the state.
+List of municipalitiesRegionDistrictChengalpattuThiruvallurChengalpattuKanchipuramCuddalore Tiruvallur Tiruttani Ponneri Naravarikuppam Veppampattu Chengalpattu Maduranthakam Mamallapuram Maraimalai Nagar Nandivaram-Guduvancheri Kundrathur Mangadu Sriperumbudur Chidambaram Panruti Nellikuppam Tittakudi Vadalur VirudhachalamVelloreViluppuramKallakurichiVelloreRanipetTirupathurTiruvannamalai Kottakuppam Tindivanam Viluppuram Kallakurichi Tirukoilur Ulundurpettai Gudiyatham Pernambut Arakkonam Arcot Melvisharam Ranipet Sholinghur Walajapet Ambur Jolarpettai Tirupattur Vaniyambadi Arni Chengam Polur Thiruvathipuram VandavasiSalemDharmapuriSalemKrishnagiriNamakkalKarur Dharmapuri Harur Attur Edaganasalai Edappadi Mettur Narasingapuram Sangagiri Tharamangalam Krishnagiri Komarapalayam Mohanur Pallipalayam Rasipuram Tiruchengode Kulithalai Pallapatti PugalurCoimbatoreCoimbatoreErodeTiruppurNilgiris Mettupalayam Karamadai Gudalur Karumathampatti Sulur Pollachi Valparai Bhavani Gobichettipalayam Kavandapadi Perundurai Punjai Puliampatti Sathyamangalam Avinashi Dharapuram Kangeyam Palladam Thirumuruganpoondi Udumalaipettai Vellakoil Coonoor Gudalur Kotagiri Nelliyalam UdagamandalamTiruchirappalliTiruchirappalliNagapattinamMayiladuthuraiAriyalur Manapparai Musiri Lalgudi Thuraiyur Thuvakudi Nagapattinam Vedaranyam Mayiladuthurai Sirkazhi Ariyalur JayankondamPerambalurThiruvarurThanjavurPudukkottai Perambalur Koothanallur Mannargudi Thiruthuraipoondi Thiruvarur Adirampattinam Pattukkottai Thiruvaiyaru AranthangiMaduraiMaduraiTheniDindigulSivagangaiRamanathapuram Melur Thirumangalam Usilampatti Bodinayakkanur Chinnamanur Cumbum Gudalur Periyakulam Theni Allinagaram Uthamapalayam Kodaikanal Oddanchatram Palani Devakottai Manamadurai Sivaganga Kilakarai Paramakudi Ramanathapuram RameswaramTirunelveliTirunelveliTenkasiVirudhunagarThoothukkudiKanniyakumari Ambasamudram Kalakkad Vadakkuvalliyur Vikramasingapuram Kadayanallur Puliyankudi Sankarankovil Sengottai Surandai Tenkasi Aruppukkottai Rajapalayam Sattur Srivilliputhur Virudhunagar Kayalpatnam Kovilpatti Tiruchendur Padmanabhapuram Kuzhithurai Colachel Kollankodu Kanyakumari
Town panchayats
Tamil Nadu was the first state to establish town panchayats as a new administrative unit. They are classified into four categories based on their annual income. +Classification of town panchayatsClassificationAnnual IncomeCountSpecial GradeExceeding Rs.20 million47Selection GradeBetween Rs. 10 to 20 million187Grade IBetween Rs. 5 to 10 million194Grade IIBelow Rs. 5 million62Total490
Their elected representatives include councilors and a presiding officer, panchayat chairman. As of 2025, there are 490 town panchayats in the state.
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