Kadapa is a city in the Rayalseema region of the south-central part of Andhra Pradesh, India. It is the district headquarters of YSR Kadapa district. The city is surrounded on three sides by the Nallamala and Palkonda Hills lying on the tectonic landscape between the Eastern and Western ghats. Black and Red ferrous soils occupy the region. As of 2011 Census of India, the city had a population of 344,078. It is located 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) south of the Penna River. The city is nicknamed "Gadapa" ('threshold') since it is the gateway from the west to the sacred hills of Tirumala. Kadapa has been under the rule of different kingdoms, including the Nizams and Cholas, the Vijayanagara Empire and Kingdom of Mysore. It is also well known for its spicy and culinary food. The city's name originated from the Telugu word "Gadapa" meaning threshold or gate. It acquired this name with its relation to the Tirumala Hills; one had to pass through Cuddapah in olden days to reach Tirumala Hills. In old Telugu the word Kadapa meant a threshold which in modern standard Telugu is evolved to gadapa while the city's name retained the old flavour. It was spelled "Cuddapah" but was changed to "Kadapa" on 19 August 2005 to reflect the local pronunciation of the name. Kadapa has good road connectivity. NH-40 passes through the city and connects it with Kurnool and Chittoor. APSRTC provides bus services to various destinations of the Kadapa district and other cities of the state like Vijayawada, Kakinada, Vishakhapatnam, Rajahmundry, Nellore, Tirupati, and also the capitals of the neighbouring states Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai. The city has a total road length of 803.84 km. Kadapa has its own railway station in the city.It is one of the Earliest Railway station in the state opened around 1866. The Mumbai-Chennai line which happens to be one of the busiest lines in the south central region passes through Kadapa railway station. It is one of the A category railway station in South Central Railway Zone under Guntakal railway division. Cuddapah Airport was opened for air traffic on 7 June 2015. It is located at a distance of 12 km north west of the City.
