Tuticorin, city, southern Tamil Nadu state, southern India. The city lies on the Gulf of Mannar of the Indian Ocean, about 25 miles (40 km) east of Tirunelveli, to which it is connected by road and rail.
It developed from a small fishing village into a flourishing Portuguese colony in the 16th century and further expanded during Dutch and British occupancies. The port later declined with the growth of Madras (now Chennai) to the northeast. From the late 1960s the harbour was deepened, warehouse and fishing facilities were improved, and industry was expanded. However, most of the city’s shipping is handled at New Tuticorin, about 5 miles (8 km) southeast of the original port.
One of the major ports of India, it can receive vessels with drafts of up to about 27 feet (8 metres) at low tide and 30 feet (9 metres) at high tide. It handles a large volume of coal traffic, as well as trade with Sri Lanka. Tuticorin has several colleges affiliated with Madurai Kamaraj University in Madurai. Pop. (2001) 216,054; (2011) 237,830.