Most parts of the district fall in the midland region (elevation 75–250 m or 246–820 ft), except the Nelliampathy-Parambikulam area in the Chittur taluk in the south and Attappadi-Malampuzha area in the north, which are hilly and fall in the highland region (elevation > 250 m or 820 ft).

Sex Ratio in urban region of Palakkad District is 1063 as per 2011 Census of India data.

[12] Many concluded that Palakkad is derived from 'Pala', an indigenous tree which once densely occupied the land; and hence Palakkad or "the forest of Pala trees".Some believe, connecting the ancient Jain Temple in the town, that the sacred language Pali gave the name.

[13] In 1757, to check the invasion of the Zamorin of Calicut, the Palakkad Raja sought the help of Hyder Ali of Mysore.

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

The region around Coimbatore was ruled by the Cheras during Sangam period between c. first and the fourth centuries CE and it served as the eastern entrance to the Palakkad Gap, the principal trade route between the Malabar Coast and Tamil Nadu.

[15] The original headquarters of Palakkad Rajas were at Athavanad, Tirur Taluk, in present-day Malappuram district.

[15] Pattambi – Ottapalam areas were originally a part of Nedunganad (ruled by Nedungadis, which was later annexed by the Kingdom of Valluvanad, which was again followed by the conquest of the Zamorin of Calicut around 15th century C. E.[15] Nedunganad was ruled by a Samanthan Nair clan known as Nedungadis, similar to the Eradis of Eranad and Vellodis of Valluvanad.

[15] In 1757, to resist the invasion of the Zamorin of Kozhikode, the Palakkad Raja sought the help of the Hyder Ali of Mysore.

[17] The smaller princely states in northern and north-central parts of Kerala (comprising Malabar District) including Kolathunadu, Kottayam, Kadathanadu, Kozhikode, Tanur, Valluvanad, and Palakkad were unified under the rulers of Mysore and were made a part of the larger Kingdom of Mysore.

[18] His son and successor, Tipu Sultan, launched campaigns against the expanding British East India Company, resulting in two of the four Anglo-Mysore Wars.

[19][20] Tipu ultimately ceded the Malabar District and South Kanara to the company in the 1790s as a result of the Third Anglo-Mysore War and the subsequent Treaty of Seringapatam; both were annexed to the Bombay Presidency (which had also included other regions in the western coast of India) of British India in the years 1792 and 1799 respectively.

[17][31] At the time of 1951 Census of India, Palakkad was the second-largest city in the erstwhile Malabar District after Kozhikode.

There are many housing colonies consist of Villas and apartments are also present in Palakkad City and suburbs.

Managing 588 route kilometers of track in the states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Mahé (in the Union Territory of Puducherry), it is one of the oldest railway divisions in India.

The terminal facility of Palakkad division is situated in Shoranur Junction & Mangalore Central of Karnataka state.

The cities of Coimbatore, Tiruchirappalli, Erode, Salem, Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Mangalore, Kozhikode and Ernakulam are connected by the broad gauge line.

Train services to Pollachi, Dindigul and Madurai are through the broad gauge line through Palakkad Town station.

[37] The Shornur Junction also has rail connections to Mangalore and the Konkan Railway, enabling travel towards Goa and Bombay.

The trains coming from other parts of India are diverted to the north and south Kerala from Shoranur Junction in Palakkad District.

[39] According to the 2018 Statistics Report, Palakkad district has a population of 2,952,254,[2] roughly equal to the nation of Armenia[41] or the state Utah in the U.S.[42] so it a ranking of 138th in India (out of a total of 640).

[44] The total Palakkad District population living in rural areas is 2,133,124 of which males and females are 1,031,466 and 1,101,658 respectively.

If child sex ratio data of Palakkad district is considered, figure is 969 girls per 1000 boys.

In the previous census of India 2001, Palakkad District recorded increase of 9.88 percent to its population compared to 1991.

The initial provisional data released by census India 2011, shows that density of Palakkad district for 2011 is 627 people per km2.

The average national sex ratio in India is 940 as per latest reports of Census 2011 Directorate.

According to the 2011 census report, the percents of mother tongue of the total population is as follows: It is located in the rich biodiversity of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.

[53] The city has Fort Maidan[54] also known as Kota Maidanam, a multi-use stadium in the center of the Palakkad.

The city has an Indoor Stadium[56] located near Government Victoria College, Palakkad with a total area of 100,000 square feet (9,300 m2) with commercial establishments still unfinished and incomplete.

There is a Synthetic Track with eight lines operational in the ground of the newly constructed Government Medical College, Palakkad.