Ottapalam (also spelled Ottappalam) is a town, taluk and municipality in the Palakkad District, Kerala, India.

[3] Ottapalam is located about 34 km (21 mi) from district headquarters Palakkad.

The present-day Ottapalam, Pattambi and Cherpulassery areas were part of the medieval Nedunganad kingdom.

Nedunaganad was ruled by the Nairs of Kavalappara,[7] Thrikkadeeri, Kannambra, Vattakkavil Perumbada under the leadership of Nedunganathiripad.

[8] After passing Ayirur-Thekkummuri, crossing the 'Ottapalam of Kanniyampuram river', then it comes the place to pay a toll for Kavalappara Nair.

The first All-Kerala conference of Indian National Congress was held in 1921 at Ottapalam, which was the then capital of South Malabar, on the bank of the river Bharathappuzha, which also later demanded a separate state for the Malayalam-speaking regions in future Independent India.

[16] Government buses as well as private bus services operate between Ottapalam and other major towns, such as Palakkad, Thrissur, Mannarkkad, Pattambi, Guruvayoor, Perinthalmanna, Thiruvilwamala and Chelakkara (through the Ottapalam-Mayanur Bridge, inaugurated on 22 January 2011).

[17] The town is served by the Ottapalam railway station, which lies between Palakkad and Shoranur Junction on the Jolarpettai–Shoranur line.