The Corporation of Cochin is the largest municipal corporation in Kerala both in area and population. The Corporation has a harbor, railway junction, international airport, the Naval Base and various industries in its command area and its peripheries. Earlier; Fort Kochi, Mattancherry and Ernakulam were the three Municipalities in Cochin area, which was later merged to form the Cochin Corporation. The Corporation has its headquarters in Ernakulam, and zonal offices at Fort Kochi, Mattancherry, Palluruthy, Edappally, Vaduthala and Vyttila. The general administration of the city is handled by the Personnel Department and the Council Standing committee Section. Other departments include that of town planning, health, engineering, revenue and accounts

The History of the Corporation dates back to the second half of the 19th century. Fort Cochin, Mattancherry and Ernakulam were the three Municipalities, which were in existence then in Cochin area. Fort Cochin became a Municipality on the 1st of November 1866. In 1896 the Maharaja of Cochin formed sanitary boards separately for Mattancherry and Ernakulam and thus local administration came into existence in these places for the first time. The Government provided funds for the functioning of the boards. The town councils of Mattancherry and Ernakulam were formed as per the above regulation. In 1956 the Elamkulam panchayat and a portion of Cheranellur panchayat (Pachalam – Vaduthala) were amalgamated to the Ernakulam Municipality. In 1962 a portion of Palluruthy panchayat (Mundamveli area) was amalgamated to the then Mattancherry municipality. Edappally panchyat was formed in 1946 and Palluruthy and Vyttila in 1953. In 1952 the then Edappally panchayat was bifurcated and a new panchayat, Vennala was formed. On the 1st July 1967, the Kerala Assembly approved the formation of Cochin Corporation. Subsequently, Govt. of Kerala notified the formation of the Corporation of Cochin by amalgamating the three ancient Municipalities of the state, viz. Ernakulam, Mattancherry and Fort Cochin, the Willington Island and four panchayats viz. Palluruthy, Vennala, Vytiila and Edappally and the small islands of Gundu deepu and Ramanthuruth. The new entity was to have an area of 83.524 sq.km. Newborn Corporation came into existence on 1.11.1967.

The Cochin Municipal Corporation was formed on 1st November 1967 merging municipalities of Fort Kochi, Mattanchery and Ernakulam

Population

As per census India, population of Kochi in 2011 is 601,574; of which male and females are 296,668 and 304,906 respectively