Bahawalpur District (Urdu: ضلع بہاول پور) is a district of Punjab, Pakistan, with the city of Bahawalpur as the district capital. According to the 1998 census, it had a population of 2,433,091, of which 27.01% were urban. Bahawalpur district covers 24,830 km. Approximately two-thirds of the district (16,000 km) is covered by the Cholistan Desert, which extends into the Thar Desert of Pakistan and India. The district is a major producer of cotton.
Located in the south of the Punjab province, Bahawalpur district is bordered by India to its south and southeast, Bahawalnagar to its northeast, Vehari, Lodhran and Multan to its north, Rahimyar Khan to its west, and Muzaffargarh to its northwest.