Bhimavaram is a city and headquarters of West Godavari district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of Bhimavaram mandal in Bhimavaram revenue division. It is a part of Eluru Urban Development Authority. As of 2011^[update] census, it is the most populous urban area in the district with a population of 163,875. It is one of the major pilgrimage centers in the state, which is home to Somaramam, one of the five great Pancharama Kshetras.

Along with much of present-day coastal Andhra Pradesh, Bhimavaram was controlled by the Chola dynasty. Under Kulothunga Chola I, Bhimavaram was ruled by his sons who served as viceroys. Stone inscriptions have been found in the town dating from his reign (c. 1096 C.E.).

The name Bhimavaram literally means "the gift of Bhima". According to a legend, in around 890–918 AD, an Eastern Chalukya king named Chalukya Bheema built a Siva temple and laid the foundation to this town. It was originally called "Bhimapuram", but the name gradually changed to "Bhimavaram"; "puram" refers to a dwelling place while "varam" means an endowment in Telugu. An alternative explanation is, that the sound va (labiodental) is preferred to ba, pa (labials) in colloquial language and over a period of time tend to shift from pa to va. Hence "varam" from "puram".

As of 2011^[update] census of India, the town had a population of 142,184. The total population constitutes 70,066 males and 72,214 females—a sex ratio of 1031 females per 1000 males. 12,157 children are in the age group of 0–6 years, of which 6,149 are boys and 6,008 are girls—a ratio of 977 girls per 1000 boys. The average literacy rate stands at 83.41% with 108,535 literates, significantly higher than the state average of 73.00%. Its urban agglomeration population was 146,961.

Bhimavaram is in the epicentre of the Godavari delta region. It is one of the principal trade centres of paddy in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Agriculture-based businesses like food processing, aqua culture, rice mills etc., are the chief sources of the town's revenue. It serves as a distribution centre as well as commercial centre to its hinterland. The town is the regional centre for higher education and is known for its specialized health services. It has many major retail brand shops.

Its urban agglomeration covers Bhimavaram Municipality, partly out growths of Rayalam (rural) and Chinamiram. It has an area of 26.14 km² (10.09 sq mi).

Trace of Bhimavaram Municipality Evolution:

Bhimavaram assembly constituency is a legislative assembly constituency in Narasapuram Lok Sabha constituency in Andhra Pradesh.