Alappuzha has a population of 240,991 people, and a population density of 3675 /sqkm.

Alappuzha dates back to the Sangam era, and was mentioned by Pliny the Elder as far back as the 1st century AD as Baraces. Later in the 16th and 17th centuries, the town flourished as an important hub for trading spices with various European powers including the Dutch and the Portuguese.