Dharwad is the district headquarters of Dharwad district in the state of Karnataka, India. It was merged with the city of Hubli in 1961 to form the twin cities of Hubli-Dharwad - the second-largest conurbation in Karnataka, India after Bangalore. The twin cities have been selected as two of the hundred Indian cities to be developed as smart cities under PM Narendra Modi's flagship Smart Cities Mission.

Hubli is a major, and is one of the fastest growing agglomerating city. The name Hubballi literally means "Flowering creeper" in Kannada. The word "Dharwad" means a place of rest in a long travel or a small habitation. For centuries, Dharwad acted as a gateway between the Malenaadu (western mountains) and the Bayalu seeme (plains) and it became a resting place for travellers. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word 'dwarawata', 'dwara' meaning "door" and 'wata' or 'wada' meaning "town".