The district of Nagaon is located on the south bank of the Brahmaputra river at a central geographical position in the state of Assam. The district lies between 25°45" and 26°45" North latitudes and 91°50" and 93°20" East longitudes. On the north the district is bounded by the river Brahmaputra, on the south by Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao districts, on the east by Golaghat and Karbi-Anglong districts, and on the west by the Morigaon district which was originally a part of the erstwhile Nagaon District.

The districts consist of four numbers of Urban Local Bodies (ULB)s – the Nagaon Municipal Board having 26 wards, Kampur Town Committee having 5 wards, Raha Town Committee with 7 wards and Dhing Municipal Board with 10 wards. As per the 2011 census the total population of the entire district was 1,57,084. The district covers an area of 3,973 Kms out of the State total area of 78,438 Kms.

The Nagaon town area is situated on both sides of the River Kolong which is the life line of Nagaon and also acts as the natural outlet for carrying the storm water generated within the city. Nagaon is the District Head Quarter of Nagaon district. A fascinating and bewildering mix of cultures, both Hindu and Islamic is seen in the Nagaon district. The Nagaon town is located at a distance of 123 kms, east of Dispur, Guwahati the state capital and has connectivity to nearby urban centers like Hojai (80 kms south-east), Tezpur (70 kms north-east), Kampur (32 kms south-west), Dhing (25 kms north-west) and Raha (22 kms west).

Origin of Nagaon

Formerly known as Khargarijan, the original Nagaon area had its headquarters at Puranigudam with a canal flowing through its middle extending from the north-east to the south-west. This channel was surrounded by reeds (locally known as khagari) and the place therefore was called Khagarijan (Khagari = reeds & jan = canal). The place being ruled by the Ahoms was attacked by the Kacharis during the reign of Ahom king Pratap Singha (1603-1641 AD) and the people of the area fled their homes in panic. After the Ahoms defeated the Kacharis subsequently, the king posted one officer named Momai Tamuli Barbaruah to rebuild the area. New villages were built up and people came and settled in these villages over time. This new area thereafter came to be known as Nagaon (Na = new & Gaon = village) and hence the name of the place came into being.

Connectivity

Nagaon is situated at around 122 kms from the state capital Guwahati on the earlier National Highway NH-37 (presently state highway) connecting Guwahati in the west, upper and northern Assam in the east. The state highway which was originally running through the heart of the city is being diverted along the southern periphery after this part of the NH-37 got integrated with the National East-West corridor which connects Silchar and Porbandar. The national highway - NH-36 towards Diphu town also originates from Nagaon.

The Haibargaon Railway station was established in 1887 and Nagaon Railway station was established subsequently. Both the Railway connectivity sources facilitate a strong network for rail communication. Moreover, the Chaparmukh railway junction through which most of the major trains pass through is located just 28 kms from the Nagaon town.

The nearest airport at Tezpur is located at a distance of 73 kms from the heart of Nagaon town which operates flights to Guwahati and Kolkata. The nearest international airport is Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport at Borjhar, Guwahati which is at a distance of 140 kms.

About Nagaon Town

The Nagaon Town is situated at an altitude of 61 metres and the latitude and longitude are 26°20’39” North and 92°41’39” East respectively. Topography is Flat plains with minor undulation and rainfall is 1726.90 mm annually with 78% (maximum) humidity. The responsibility for local governance and management of Nagaon town is vested with the Nagaon Municipal Board which is responsible for overall development including provision and maintenance of core civic services. In this matter the Nagaon Municipal Board closely co-ordinates with other stakeholders i.e. the District Administration, PWD (Bldg), PWD(Roads), PHED, APDCL, T&CP, NDA, ASTC etc. At present the Nagaon Municipal Board consists of 26 nos. of wards with a total area of 9.22 square kms (approx) under its jurisdiction.