Atakum is a municipality and district of Samsun Province, Turkey. Its area is 351 km, and its population is 242,171 (2022). Atakum is a largely middle class suburban district located to the west of the primary city of Samsun and further suburban Ondokuzmayıs. The city's population expanded rapidly beginning in the 1990s and continues to grow at a healthy pace. The city consists largely of middle class housing blocks with ground floor retail and a mix of office uses. In 2009, the city undertook a significant waterfront redevelopment campaign which entailed the construction of a beachfront and pedestrian promenade. Construction of the waterfront promenade and Tram was led by former Samsun Province governor Yusuf Ziya Yılmaz. The city is served by the Samsun Tram which runs down the median of İsmet İnönü Caddesi.
Ondokuz Mayıs University is located on the western edge of the city and is serviced by the University Station on the Samsun Tram. Atakum's mayor is Serhat Türkel of the Republican People's Party.
