Namakkal District started to function independently from 1st January 1997, after it was bifurcated from Salem District. The town of Namakkal is the district headquarters. The district is bounded by Salem District in the north, Karur District in the South, Trichy, Perambalur and Salem Districts in the east and Erode District in the west.
It is a well-known place for the poultry industry, power loom, and lorry body building industry.