| Šilutė District Municipality | |
| Native Name: | Šilutės rajono savivaldybė |
| Native Name Lang: | lt |
| Settlement Type: | Municipality |
| Image Map1: | SilutesRajonoSeniunijos.png |
| Map Caption1: | Map of Šilutė district municipality |
| Coordinates: | 55.35°N 50°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: |  Lithuania |
| Subdivision Type1: | Ethnographic region |
| Subdivision Name1: | Lithuania Minor/ Samogitia |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Klaipėda County |
| Parts Style: | para |
| Parts Type: | Elderships |
| P1: | 11 |
| Seat Type: | Capital |
| Seat: | Šilutė |
| Unit Pref: | Metric |
| Area Total Km2: | 1706 |
| Area Rank: | 7th |
| Population Total: | 39,067 |
| Population As Of: | 2021[1] |
| Population Rank: | 13th |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Population Density Rank: | 29th |
| Timezone1: | EET |
| Utc Offset1: | +2 |
| Timezone1 Dst: | EEST |
| Utc Offset1 Dst: | +3 |
| Area Code Type: | Telephone code |
| Area Code: | 441 |
| Blank Name Sec1: | Major settlements |
Šilutė District Municipality is one of 60 municipalities in Lithuania. It is known for spring floods when ice on Nemunas River starts melting. This is the only municipality in Lithuania that gets flooded on regular basis.
Unemployment rate in the municipality dropped from 10.9% in January 2003 to 7.7% in January 2005. However, the national rate remains 1.2-1.7% lower.
Total area of Šilutė District Municipality is 1706 km2. Forests cover 340 km2 or almost 20%, waters (most notably Nemunas Delta) - 348 km2 or 20.4%, arable land - 611 km2 or 35.8%, pastures and grasslands - 226 km2 or 13.2%, buildings and roads - 60 km2 or 3.5% of the territory.
Šilutė municipality includes the biggest part of Lithuania Minor in present-day Lithuania, with some Lietuvninkai' heritage. There are areas of unique nature in the district, dominated by lowland pastures. The picturesque Nemunas Delta and Ventė Cape is home to many local and migrating birds. Rusnė, a settlement located in the Nemunas Delta, is the only island town in Lithuania; some part of it situated below the sea level.
There are 318 villages with 33,800 residents in the municipality. During the 2001 census, 12 villages had no residents. About 14,000 of the municipality residents are children younger than 15 year old and about 10,000 are elderly.
The coat of arms was designed in 1968. It depicts a white sailing ship. On top there is a traditional weathercock (Lithuanian: vėtrungė) used by local fishermen. At the bottom there is a horn, an old symbol of postal services. These symbols hint to the Curonian Lagoon, traditional fishing business, and Šilutė as the old sea port. For a while Šilutė was along an important postal route.
Šilutė district municipality maintains sister city relationships with the following cities:
Ljungby, Sweden
Emmerich, Germany
Ostróda, Poland Gdańsk, Poland
Saldus, Latvia
Cittaducale, Italy Vellinge, Sweden
Alanya, Turkey