Muzaffarpur District was established in 1875 by splitting up the district of Tirhut. It is named after Muzaffar Khan, a revenue officer under the British government. Muzaffarpur is one of the oldest and largest trade centers in the entire state. Covering an area of 3,172 sq km, it shares boundaries with
East Champaran,
Sitamarhi,
Vaishali, Saran,
Darbhanga,
Samastipur and
Gopalganj districts. The total population is 3 million.
The Bagmati, Gandak, and Burhi Gandak are the important rivers. Main sources of economy are agriculture and industries. Paddy, maize, wheat, and lentils are some of the important crops. Muzaffarpur is famous for litchis and mangoes. There are sugar factories at Motipur, a thermal power station at Kanti, a wagon factory at Muzaffarpur, and pharmaceuticals at Narayanpur. This district exhibits a rare assimilation of Hindu and Islamic culture and thoughts.
Much frequented tourist spots such as Hajipur, Sonepur, and Vaishali are near Muzzafarpur. The nearest airport is at Patna at a distance of 72 km.
