| Type: | commune |
| County: | Bacău |
| Răchitoasa | |
| Leader Name: | Valentin Moraru |
| Leader Party: | PSD |
| Leader Term: | 2020 - 2024 |
| Coordinates: | 46.4333°N 49°W |
| Elevation: | 178 |
| Area Total: | 117.23 |
| Population Total: | auto |
| Postal Code: | 607490 |
| Area Code: | +(40) 234 |
Răchitoasa is a commune in Bacău County, Western Moldavia, Romania. It is composed of fifteen villages: Barcana, Bucșa, Buda, Burdusaci, Dănăila, Dumbrava, Farcașa, Fundătura Răchitoasa, Hăghiac, Magazia, Movilița, Oprișești, Putini, Răchitoasa, and Tochilea.[1]
The commune is situated on the Moldavian Plateau, at an altitude of, on the banks of the river Zeletin. It is located in the eastern part of Bacău County, southeast of the county seat, Bacău, on the border with Vaslui County. Răchitoasa is crossed by county road DJ241, which leads to the north to Colonești and Izvoru Berheciului and to the south to Motoșeni, Glăvănești, and Podu Turcului.
At the 2021 census, the commune had a population of 4,156; of those, 89,82% were Romanians.[2]
The commune is home to the Răchitoasa Monastery, one of the largest in Moldavia. Built in 1697 and then used by Greek monks, the monastery was transformed during the rule of Alexandru Ioan Cuza into a leper house, and later was turned into a nursing home. It regained its religious status in 1993, and it was rehabilitated with EU funds in 2014.[3] [4]