Dharwad district is an important district in the southern state of India, Karnataka. It is strategically located in the northern part of Karnataka almost equidistant from the two industrial centres of India- Bangalore, the capital city of Karnataka and Pune, a rapidly developing industrial city in Maharastra.

The district headquarters is located at Dharwad. Dharwad means a resting place after a long travel and is an appropriate name as it acted as a gateway between the Malenaadu and the Bayalu plains and became a resting place for the travelers. The district has a temperate climate and is surrounded by numerous lakes, hills and other small water bodies. The major lakes are Kelgeri and Sadankeri.

In 1961, the town merged with the neighbourhood town Hubli to become a single municipality, Hubli- Dharwad. In 1997 two new districts Gadag and Haveri were created out of Dharwad`s administrative territory. A part of Dharwad district was coalesced with lands, which were earlier, the part of three other districts in order to make the new district of Davanagere.

Historical records say that the Chalukyas ruled Dharwad in the 12th century and at that time it was an important city. Having a historical connection, the town has many temples and is an important religious center. Someshwara Temple, Murugha Math, Shankara Matha, Dattatreya Temple, Vanavasi Rama Mandira, Ulavi Basappana Temple, Laxmi-Narayana Temple, Tapovan, and Renuka Devi-Temple are some of the famous temples of the district.

The Dharwad district is also the home of many prestigious educational institutions like the Karnataka University, the Karnataka Medical College and the University of Agricultural Sciences. It is also known for `pedas`, a sweet made from milk.

Hubli, is an important commercial city of the district with its many cotton and silk factories, railway workshops, and a major newspaper industry. Along with Hubli, which is situated at a distance of 22 kms.from Dharwad forms a twin city.