Tamparuli is a town and sub-district located in the Tuaran District of Sabah, Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. It is approximately 38 kilometres northeast of Kota Kinabalu, the state capital of Sabah. The town is known for its scenic landscapes, which include hills, rivers, and surrounding rural areas, making it a picturesque location. It is famous for its proximity to the Tamparuli Suspension Bridge, a popular tourist attraction. The Tamparuli Suspension Bridge became even more iconic after the creation of the "Tamparuli Bridge Song" by Justin Lusah. Tamparuli is also known for its local culture and is a gateway for visitors heading to the highlands, such as the popular Kundasang area and Mount Kinabalu. The town is known for its food, especially the "Tamparuli Noodles," a local delicacy. It also serves as a stop on the way to Kiulu, a popular whitewater rafting destination for domestic and international tourists.

The convenience of the new Tamparuli Point shopping site is helping Tamparuli grow. The most famous landmark in Tamparuli is a long hanging bridge; another bridge built safer and more compatible for motor traffic spans the river far below the hanging bridge and is flooded during heavy rain. A portion of the motor bridge was destroyed by floods in 1954 but was built not long after.

The origin of the name Tamparuli has been explained through various stories shared by locals over the years. The most popular version suggests that the town was named after a suspension bridge built by an unnamed British officer. A temporary bridge had been constructed to replace an older one that was damaged by a flood. The British officer reportedly turned to the villagers and said, “This bridge is temporary.” Over time, the word temporary was gradually adapted by the locals and eventually evolved into Tamparuli.

Others version from the year 1942 until the year 1944, the Tamparuli area was used by the Japanese military as a base for heavy vehicles such as trucks. Then, the local people called that area are known as 'Tempat Lori' means truck place and, eventually, it turned called Tamparuli. Next, according to another source, the Tamparuli town also derives a name from words know as slapped by water and, this name derives from Brunei's word, due Brunei traders who came to Tamparuli had trouble to get up to the upstream because of the high water flow. As with many place names, the exact origin may not be fully certain, but these interpretations give a sense of how the name might relate to the local geography, culture, or history.

Tamparuli town known was as called "Bontoi" (actually referring to a small village in that area) and, "Bontoi" of village name means a bridge believed to have existed for over 200 years long before it was named Tamparuli. From a small village, Tamparuli later evolved into a town. The change came after several outside traders, especially among Chinese people from Tuaran, set up some lumber shops in the 1930s. Tamparuli Town is believed to have been established and developed on the site of a former rubber plantation by a group of Chinese families around the 1920s to 1930s. The town was also built by the riverbank near a place called Bontoi and became a parking spot for lorries at night during the Japanese occupation. During the British occupation, the first wooden shop houses in Tamparuli town were built in 1946, a year after World War II. The historic Tamparuli shop houses, which are inscribed on the concrete, are believed to have been completed on 5 September 1954, three years before the Independence of Malaya in 1957.

There is a monument believed to be over 60 years old built near the market in Tamparuli town. According to historical sources, the purpose of the monument was to commemorate two British soldiers who died in a nearby river during a Land Rover four-wheel drive that they crossed across the Tamparuli bridge on 18 May 1960. The dead British soldier named JWN Hall of the Royal Health Corps and a driver, DC Cooper of the Royal Service Corps based at Paradise Camp, Kota Belud. The unfortunate tragedy occurred when two soldiers were on their way to send a severely injured woman from Kampung Sayap, Kota Belud to a hospital in Jesselton. At that time, the vehicle was in the middle of a bridge and an unexpected stream of currents had occurred causing the vehicle to drift. The bodies of the three victims were found with two still in the four-wheel-drive Land Rover that was swept away by the current. Three days later, two British soldiers were buried in the army cemetery at Paradise Camp in Kota Belud. The monument is also one of the visitors' places of interest in the town of Tamparuli.

The small district of Tamparuli is still under the administration of the Tuaran District Council in Sabah, Malaysia. Although Tamparuli is often regarded as a small district or town, it is still managed by the Tuaran District Council for administrative and public service matters. The Tuaran District Council is responsible for various aspects of management and development in the area, including infrastructure, cleanliness, and urban planning. Tamparuli, with its strategic location near the state capital of Kota Kinabalu, also plays an important role in the economy and culture of Sabah.

The Tamparuli Sub-District Office has undergone several transitions since its establishment. Initially, it began serving the Tamparuli community in 1977, with just 14 staff members operating out of a store in Tamparuli town. In 1982, the office moved to a dedicated building located near Tamparuli town, along Jalan Kampong Bawang. By 2004, the district administration center expanded into a new building, accommodating 38 staff members, and also housed the local court, Tamparuli. These developments reflect the growth and increasing needs of the Tamparuli community over time.