Kathua, town, southwestern Jammu and Kashmir union territory, northern India. It is situated just west of the Ravi River and near the border with Punjab state, about 45 miles (72 km) southeast of Jammu.
Kathua is a main population centre of a region bounded by Pakistan to the southwest, Punjab state to the south and southeast, and Himachal Pradesh state to the east. The greatly dissected Siwalik Range crosses just to the north of the town in a northwest-southeast trend. Major crops in the area include wheat, rice, and sugarcane. Pop. (2001) 40,931; (2011) 51,991.