List of districts (kecamatan) of North Sumatra with the regency or city each belongs to.
List of North Sumatra Districts
- Adiankoting — Tapanuli Utara
- Aek Bilah — Tapanuli Selatan
- Aek Kuasan — Asahan
- Aek Kuo — Labuhanbatu Utara
- Aek Ledong — Asahan
- Aek Natas — Labuhanbatu Utara
- Aek Songsongan — Asahan
- Afulu — Nias Utara
- Air Batu — Asahan
- Air Joman — Asahan
- Air Putih — Batubara
- Ajibata — Toba
- Alasa — Nias Utara
- Alasa Talumuzoi — Nias Utara
- Amandraya — Nias Selatan
- Andam Dewi — Tapanuli Tengah
- Angkola Barat — Tapanuli Selatan
- Angkola Julu — Padangsidimpuan (city)
- Angkola Sangkunur — Tapanuli Selatan
- Angkola Selatan — Tapanuli Selatan
- Angkola Timur — Tapanuli Selatan
- Arse — Tapanuli Selatan
- Babalan — Langkat
- Badiri — Tapanuli Tengah
- Bahorok — Langkat
- Bajenis — Tebing Tinggi (city)
- Baktiraja — Humbang Hasundutan
- Balige — Toba
- Bandar — Simalungun
- Bandar Huluan — Simalungun
- Bandar Khalipah — Serdang Bedagai
- Bandar Masilam — Simalungun
- Bandar Pasir Mandoge — Asahan
- Bandar Pulau — Asahan
- Bangun Purba — Deli Serdang
- Barumun — Padang Lawas
- Barumun Tengah — Padang Lawas
- Barus — Tapanuli Tengah
- Barus Utara — Tapanuli Tengah
- Barusjahe — Karo
- Batahan — Mandailing Natal
- Batang Angkola — Tapanuli Selatan
- Batang Kuis — Deli Serdang
- Batang Lubu Sutam — Padang Lawas
- Batang Natal — Mandailing Natal
- Batang Onang — Padang Lawas Utara
- Batang Serangan — Langkat
- Batang Toru — Tapanuli Selatan
- Bawolato — Nias
- Berampu — Dairi
- Beringin — Deli Serdang
- Besitang — Langkat
- Bilah Barat — Labuhanbatu
- Bilah Hilir — Labuhanbatu
- Bilah Hulu — Labuhanbatu
- Binjai — Langkat
- Binjai Barat — Binjai (city)
- Binjai Kota — Binjai (city)
- Binjai Selatan — Binjai (city)
- Binjai Timur — Binjai (city)
- Binjai Utara — Binjai (city)
- Biru-Biru — Deli Serdang
- Borbor — Toba
- Bosar Maligas — Simalungun
- Brandan Barat — Langkat
- Bukit Malintang — Mandailing Natal
- Buntu Pane — Asahan
- Datuk Bandar — Tanjungbalai (city)
- Datuk Bandar Timur — Tanjungbalai (city)
- Datuk Tanah Datar — Batubara
- Deli Tua — Deli Serdang
- Dolat Rakyat — Karo
- Dolok — Padang Lawas Utara
- Dolok Batunanggar — Simalungun
- Dolok Masihul — Serdang Bedagai
- Dolok Merawan — Serdang Bedagai
- Dolok Panribuan — Simalungun
- Dolok Pardamean — Simalungun
- Dolok Sanggul — Humbang Hasundutan
- Dolok Sigompulon — Padang Lawas Utara
- Dolok Silau — Simalungun
- Galang — Deli Serdang
- Garoga — Tapanuli Utara
- Gebang — Langkat
- Gido — Nias
- Girsang Sipangan Bolon — Simalungun
- Gomo — Nias Selatan
- Gunung Malela — Simalungun
- Gunung Maligas — Simalungun
- Gunung Meriah — Deli Serdang
- Gunung Sitember — Dairi
- Gunung Sitoli — Gunungsitoli (city)
- Gunung Sitoli Alo’oa — Gunungsitoli (city)
- Gunung Sitoli Barat — Gunungsitoli (city)
- Gunung Sitoli Idanoi — Gunungsitoli (city)
- Gunung Sitoli Selatan — Gunungsitoli (city)
- Gunung Sitoli Utara — Gunungsitoli (city)
- Gunung Tua — Padang Lawas Utara
- Habinsaran — Toba
- Halongonan — Padang Lawas Utara
- Hamparan Perak — Deli Serdang
- Haranggaol Horison — Simalungun
- Harian — Samosir
- Hatonduhan — Simalungun
- Hibala — Nias Selatan
- Hili Serangkai — Nias
- Hiliduho — Nias
- Hinai — Langkat
- Hulu Sihapas — Padang Lawas Utara
- Huristak — Padang Lawas
- Huta Bargot — Mandailing Natal
- Huta Raja Tinggi — Padang Lawas
- Hutabayu Raja — Simalungun
- Idano Gawo — Nias
- Jawa Maraja Bah Jambi — Simalungun
- Jorlang Hataran — Simalungun
- Juhar — Karo
- Kabanjahe — Karo
- Kampung Rakyat — Labuhanbatu Selatan
- Kerajaan — Pakpak Bharat
- Kisaran Barat — Asahan
- Kisaran Timur — Asahan
- Kolang — Tapanuli Tengah
- Kota Pinang — Labuhanbatu Selatan
- Kotanopan — Mandailing Natal
- Kotarih — Serdang Bedagai
- Kuala — Langkat
- Kualuh Hilir — Labuhanbatu Utara
- Kualuh Hulu — Labuhanbatu Utara
- Kualuh Leidong — Labuhanbatu Utara
- Kualuh Selatan — Labuhanbatu Utara
- Kuta Buluh — Karo
- Kutalimbaru — Deli Serdang
- Kutambaru — Langkat
- Labuhan Deli — Deli Serdang
- Lae Parira — Dairi
- Lagu Boti — Toba
- Lahewa — Nias Utara
- Lahewa Timur — Nias Utara
- Lahomi — Nias Barat
- Lahusa — Nias Selatan
- Laubaleng — Karo
- Laut Tador — Batubara
- Lembah Sorik Merapi — Mandailing Natal
- Limapuluh — Batubara
- Lingga Bayu — Mandailing Natal
- Lintong Nihuta — Humbang Hasundutan
- Lolofitu Moi — Nias Barat
- Lolomatua — Nias Selatan
- Lolowa’u — Nias Selatan
- Lotu — Nias Utara
- Lubuk Barumun — Padang Lawas
- Lubuk Pakam — Deli Serdang
- Lumban Julu — Toba
- Lumut — Tapanuli Tengah
- Mandrehe — Nias Barat
- Mandrehe Barat — Nias Barat
- Mandrehe Utara — Nias Barat
- Manduamas — Tapanuli Tengah
- Marancar — Tapanuli Selatan
- Marbau — Labuhanbatu Utara
- Mardingding — Karo
- Medan Amplas — Medan (city)
- Medan Area — Medan (city)
- Medan Barat — Medan (city)
- Medan Baru — Medan (city)
- Medan Belawan — Medan (city)
- Medan Deli — Medan (city)
- Medan Denai — Medan (city)
- Medan Helvetia — Medan (city)
- Medan Johor — Medan (city)
- Medan Kota — Medan (city)
- Medan Labuhan — Medan (city)
- Medan Maimun — Medan (city)
- Medan Marelan — Medan (city)
- Medan Perjuangan — Medan (city)
- Medan Petisah — Medan (city)
- Medan Polonia — Medan (city)
- Medan Selayang — Medan (city)
- Medan Sunggal — Medan (city)
- Medan Tembung — Medan (city)
- Medan Timur — Medan (city)
- Medan Tuntungan — Medan (city)
- Medang Deras — Batubara
- Meranti — Asahan
- Merdeka — Karo
- Merek — Karo
- Moro’o — Nias Barat
- Muara — Tapanuli Utara
- Muara Batang Gadis — Mandailing Natal
- Muara Batang Toru — Tapanuli Selatan
- Muara Sipongi — Mandailing Natal
- Munthe — Karo
- Na IX-X — Labuhanbatu Utara
- Naga Juang — Mandailing Natal
- Nainggolan — Samosir
- Naman Teran — Karo
- Namo Rambe — Deli Serdang
- Namohalu Esiwa — Nias Utara
- Natal — Mandailing Natal
- Nibung Hangus — Batubara
- Onan Ganjang — Humbang Hasundutan
- Onan Runggu — Samosir
- Padang Bolak — Padang Lawas Utara
- Padang Bolak Julu — Padang Lawas Utara
- Padang Hilir — Tebing Tinggi (city)
- Padang Hulu — Tebing Tinggi (city)
- Padang Sidempuan Batu Nadua — Padangsidimpuan (city)
- Padang Sidempuan Hutaimbaru — Padangsidimpuan (city)
- Padang Sidempuan Selatan — Padangsidimpuan (city)
- Padang Sidempuan Tenggara — Padangsidimpuan (city)
- Padang Sidempuan Utara — Padangsidimpuan (city)
- Padang Tualang — Langkat
- Pagar Merbau — Deli Serdang
- Pagaran — Tapanuli Utara
- Pagindar — Pakpak Bharat
- Pahae Jae — Tapanuli Utara
- Pahae Julu — Tapanuli Utara
- Pakantan — Mandailing Natal
- Pakkat — Humbang Hasundutan
- Palipi — Samosir
- Panai Hilir — Labuhanbatu
- Panai Hulu — Labuhanbatu
- Panai Tengah — Labuhanbatu
- Pancur Batu — Deli Serdang
- Pandan — Tapanuli Tengah
- Pane — Simalungun
- Pangaribuan — Tapanuli Utara
- Pangkalan Susu — Langkat
- Pangkatan — Labuhanbatu
- Pangururan — Samosir
- Panombeian Pane — Simalungun
- Pantai Cermin — Serdang Bedagai
- Pantai Labu — Deli Serdang
- Panyabungan Barat — Mandailing Natal
- Panyabungan Kota — Mandailing Natal
- Panyabungan Selatan — Mandailing Natal
- Panyabungan Timur — Mandailing Natal
- Panyabungan Utara — Mandailing Natal
- Paranginan — Humbang Hasundutan
- Parbuluan — Dairi
- Parlilitan — Humbang Hasundutan
- Parmaksian — Toba
- Parmonangan — Tapanuli Utara
- Pasaribu Tobing — Tapanuli Tengah
- Patumbak — Deli Serdang
- Payung — Karo
- Pegagan Hilir — Dairi
- Pematang Bandar — Simalungun
- Pematang Jaya — Langkat
- Pematang Sidamanik — Simalungun
- Perbaungan — Serdang Bedagai
- Percut Sei Tuan — Deli Serdang
- Pergetteng-getteng Sengkut — Pakpak Bharat
- Pinangsori — Tapanuli Tengah
- Pintu Pohan Meranti — Toba
- Pollung — Humbang Hasundutan
- Porsea — Toba
- Portibi — Padang Lawas Utara
- Pulau Rakyat — Asahan
- Pulau-Pulau Batu — Nias Selatan
- Pulo Bandring — Asahan
- Puncak Sorik Merapi — Mandailing Natal
- Purba — Simalungun
- Purbatua — Tapanuli Utara
- Rahuning — Asahan
- Rambutan — Tebing Tinggi (city)
- Rantau Selatan — Labuhanbatu
- Rantau Utara — Labuhanbatu
- Ranto Baek — Mandailing Natal
- Rawang Panca Arga — Asahan
- Raya — Simalungun
- Raya Kahean — Simalungun
- Ronggur Nihuta — Samosir
- Saipar Dolok Hole — Tapanuli Selatan
- Salak — Pakpak Bharat
- Salapian — Langkat
- Sarudik — Tapanuli Tengah
- Sawit Seberang — Langkat
- Sawo — Nias Utara
- Sayur Matinggi — Tapanuli Selatan
- Secanggang — Langkat
- Sei Balai — Batubara
- Sei Bamban — Serdang Bedagai
- Sei Bingai — Langkat
- Sei Dadap — Asahan
- Sei Kanan — Labuhanbatu Selatan
- Sei Kepayang — Asahan
- Sei Kepayang Barat — Asahan
- Sei Kepayang Timur — Asahan
- Sei Lepan — Langkat
- Sei Rampah — Serdang Bedagai
- Sei Suka — Batubara
- Sei Tualang Raso — Tanjungbalai (city)
- Selesai — Langkat
- Setia Janji — Asahan
- Siabu — Mandailing Natal
- Siais — Tapanuli Selatan
- Sianjur Mula Mula — Samosir
- Siantar — Simalungun
- Siantar Barat — Pematangsiantar (city)
- Siantar Marihat — Pematangsiantar (city)
- Siantar Marimbun — Pematangsiantar (city)
- Siantar Martoba — Pematangsiantar (city)
- Siantar Narumonda — Toba
- Siantar Selatan — Pematangsiantar (city)
- Siantar Sitalasari — Pematangsiantar (city)
- Siantar Timur — Pematangsiantar (city)
- Siantar Utara — Pematangsiantar (city)
- Siatas Barita — Tapanuli Utara
- Sibabangun — Tapanuli Tengah
- Sibolangit — Deli Serdang
- Sibolga Kota — Sibolga (city)
- Sibolga Sambas — Sibolga (city)
- Sibolga Selatan — Sibolga (city)
- Sibolga Utara — Sibolga (city)
- Siborong-Borong — Tapanuli Utara
- Sibuhuan — Padang Lawas
- Sidamanik — Simalungun
- Sidikalang — Dairi
- Siempat Nempu — Dairi
- Siempat Nempu Hilir — Dairi
- Siempat Nempu Hulu — Dairi
- Siempat Rube — Pakpak Bharat
- Sigumpar — Toba
- Sijama Polang — Humbang Hasundutan
- Silaen — Toba
- Silangkitang — Labuhanbatu Selatan
- Silau Kahean — Simalungun
- Silau Laut — Asahan
- Silima Pungga-Pungga — Dairi
- Silimakuta — Simalungun
- Simangambat — Padang Lawas Utara
- Simangumban — Tapanuli Utara
- Simanindo — Samosir
- Simpang Empat — Asahan
- Simpang Empat — Karo
- Sinembah Tanjungmuda Hilir — Deli Serdang
- Sinembah Tanjungmuda Hulu — Deli Serdang
- Sinunukan — Mandailing Natal
- Sipahutar — Tapanuli Utara
- Sipirok — Tapanuli Selatan
- Sipispis — Serdang Bedagai
- Sipoholon — Tapanuli Utara
- Sirandorung — Tapanuli Tengah
- Sirapit — Langkat
- Sirombu — Nias Barat
- Sitahuis — Tapanuli Tengah
- Sitellu Tali Urang Jehe — Pakpak Bharat
- Sitellu Tali Urang Julu — Pakpak Bharat
- Sitio-tio — Samosir
- Sitolu Ori — Nias Utara
- Sorkam — Tapanuli Tengah
- Sorkam Barat — Tapanuli Tengah
- Sosa — Padang Lawas
- Sosopan — Padang Lawas
- Sosor Gadong — Tapanuli Tengah
- Stabat — Langkat
- Sumbul — Dairi
- Sunggal — Deli Serdang
- Talawi — Batubara
- Tambangan — Mandailing Natal
- Tampahan — Toba
- Tanah Jawa — Simalungun
- Tanah Pinem — Dairi
- Tanjung Balai — Asahan
- Tanjung Balai Selatan — Tanjungbalai (city)
- Tanjung Balai Utara — Tanjungbalai (city)
- Tanjung Beringin — Serdang Bedagai
- Tanjung Morawa — Deli Serdang
- Tanjung Pura — Langkat
- Tanjung Tiram — Batubara
- Tano Tombangan Angkola — Tapanuli Selatan
- Tapian Dolok — Simalungun
- Tapian Nauli — Tapanuli Tengah
- Tarabintang — Humbang Hasundutan
- Tarutung — Tapanuli Utara
- Tebing Tinggi — Serdang Bedagai
- Tebing Tinggi Kota — Tebing Tinggi (city)
- Teluk Dalam — Asahan
- Teluk Dalam — Nias Selatan
- Teluk Mengkudu — Serdang Bedagai
- Teluk Nibung — Tanjungbalai (city)
- Tiga Binanga — Karo
- Tiga Lingga — Dairi
- Tiga Panah — Karo
- Tiganderket — Karo
- Tinada — Pakpak Bharat
- Tinggi Raja — Asahan
- Torgamba — Labuhanbatu Selatan
- Tugala Oyo — Nias Utara
- Tuhemberua — Nias Utara
- Tukka — Tapanuli Tengah
- Ujung Batu — Padang Lawas Utara
- Ujung Padang — Simalungun
- Ulu Barumun — Padang Lawas
- Ulu Moro’o — Nias Barat
- Ulu Pungkut — Mandailing Natal
- Uluan — Toba
- Wampu — Langkat
- North Sumatra (Sumatera Utara) is a province of Indonesia made up of 25 regencies (kabupaten) and 8 cities (kota), 33 units in total.
- Each regency or city is divided into districts (kecamatan), which in turn contain rural villages (desa) and urban villages (kelurahan).
- Medan, the provincial capital, has 21 districts, the most of any city. Gunungsitoli and Padangsidimpuan have 6 each; Sibolga has 4.
- Mandailing Natal is the largest regency by area (about 6,620 km² in a 2013 provincial planning document). Pakpak Bharat is the least populated (about 56,700 people at the end of 2023).
- Most regencies in the province were created by splitting older ones between 1998 and 2009, which is why the older source lists many outdated assignments.
Districts in this list, by regency or city
| Regency / city | Districts listed |
|---|---|
| Simalungun | 30 |
| Asahan | 25 |
| Langkat | 23 |
| Mandailing Natal | 23 |
| Deli Serdang | 22 |
| Medan (city) | 21 |
| Tapanuli Tengah | 19 |
| Karo | 16 |
| Tapanuli Selatan | 15 |
| Tapanuli Utara | 15 |
| Toba | 14 |
| Dairi | 13 |
| Serdang Bedagai | 12 |
| Nias Utara | 11 |
| Padang Lawas Utara | 11 |
| Batubara | 10 |
| Humbang Hasundutan | 10 |
| Padang Lawas | 10 |
| Labuhanbatu | 9 |
| Samosir | 9 |
| Labuhanbatu Utara | 8 |
| Nias Barat | 8 |
| Nias Selatan | 8 |
| Pakpak Bharat | 8 |
| Pematangsiantar (city) | 8 |
| Gunungsitoli (city) | 6 |
| Padangsidimpuan (city) | 6 |
| Tanjungbalai (city) | 6 |
| Binjai (city) | 5 |
| Labuhanbatu Selatan | 5 |
| Nias | 5 |
| Tebing Tinggi (city) | 5 |
| Sibolga (city) | 4 |
| Total | 400 (339 in regencies, 61 in cities) |
How North Sumatra is divided
Three layers of local government
Indonesia’s provinces are split into regencies and cities, which are the main units of local government. North Sumatra has 25 regencies and 8 cities. Regencies are generally larger and more rural, with an administrative seat that is often a small town (Kabanjahe for Karo, Balige for Toba, Sidikalang for Dairi). Cities are compact urban units: Medan, Binjai, Tebing Tinggi, Pematangsiantar, Tanjungbalai, Sibolga, Padangsidimpuan and Gunungsitoli.
Below them sits the district, or kecamatan. A district is headed by an appointed official called the camat, who coordinates services and administration for a group of villages on behalf of the regency or city government. It is not an elected body and it is not a separate government in the way a regency is. Districts are the unit most people deal with for civil documents, local permits and community services, and they are the unit statistics offices use to report population and development data. Below the district are villages: desa in rural areas and kelurahan in urban ones.
Geography and settlement. Districts follow where people live. Dense lowland areas around Medan and in Deli Serdang, Langkat and Asahan tend to have more districts than thinly settled highland or island areas. Mountain regencies such as Pakpak Bharat have few people, so they have few districts, though each can cover a lot of ground.
History of splitting. Many regencies are young. Mandailing Natal and Toba Samosir were created in 1998. Through the 2000s the province kept subdividing: Samosir, Humbang Hasundutan, Pakpak Bharat, Serdang Bedagai and Nias Selatan appeared around 2003; Batubara, Padang Lawas and Padang Lawas Utara followed around 2007; and Labuhanbatu Selatan, Labuhanbatu Utara, Nias Utara and Nias Barat around 2008. Toba Samosir was later shortened to simply Toba. Each split carried a set of districts into the new regency, and new districts were then carved out in turn.

Same name, different place
Indonesian place names repeat across the province, so a district name alone can mislead. Simpang Empat is a district in both Asahan and Karo. Teluk Dalam exists in both Asahan and Nias Selatan. Several regencies also contain a district named after their capital or neighbouring city (Binjai in Langkat, Siantar in Simalungun, Tebing Tinggi in Serdang Bedagai, Tanjung Balai in Asahan), and these are separate from the cities of the same name. Always pair a district with its regency or city, as this list does.
Sources
- Wikipedia, “List of districts of North Sumatra” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_districts_of_North_Sumatra), the base list.
- Wikipedia, “List of regencies and cities in North Sumatra”: 25 regencies and 8 cities.
- Provincial spatial plan RTRW 2013–2033, Chapter 1 (sumutprov.go.id): city district counts and regency area.
- Pancabudi academic paper on village financial systems: about 450 districts, 693 urban villages, 5,417 villages.
- Databoks/Katadata, North Sumatra population 2023: Pakpak Bharat’s population.
- BPS North Sumatra, number of districts and villages by regency/city (2013 table).
- Dissertation chapter from Universitas Diponegoro on Toba Regency: creation of Toba Samosir and Mandailing Natal in 1998.













