Mattanur also spelled Mattannur, is a real city, municipality, and aerotropolis in the Kannur region, Kerala province, India. The region has the typical character of the midlands of Kerala with hilly terrain mainly used for dryland agriculture. The area of the city stretches between the Irikkur River, a part of the Valapattanam Waterway in the north, and the Anjarakandy Waterway in the south.
The town lies in the lower regions of the western shoulders of the Western Ghat, which rises grandly on the eastern side, while the western boundary is the stretch of slowly sloping land leading to the Lakshadweep Ocean. Mattanur is famous for its players of the ethnic drum called Chenda.