| Ixopo | |
| Other Name: | Stuartstown |
| Pushpin Map: | South Africa KwaZulu-Natal#South Africa |
| Coordinates: | -30.1572°N 30.0647°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | South Africa |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Name1: | KwaZulu-Natal |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Name2: | Harry Gwala |
| Subdivision Type3: | Municipality |
| Subdivision Name3: | Ubuhlebezwe |
| Subdivision Type4: | Main Place |
| Established Title: | Established |
| Leader Title: | Councillor |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Km2: | 10.85 |
| Population Total: | 12461 |
| Population As Of: | 2011 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Demographics Type1: | Racial makeup (2011) |
| Demographics1 Title1: | Black African |
| Demographics1 Info1: | 90.6% |
| Demographics1 Title2: | Coloured |
| Demographics1 Info2: | 5.6% |
| Demographics1 Title3: | Indian/Asian |
| Demographics1 Info3: | 1.9% |
| Demographics1 Title4: | White |
| Demographics1 Info4: | 1.4% |
| Demographics1 Title5: | Other |
| Demographics1 Info5: | 0.5% |
| Demographics Type2: | First languages (2011) |
| Demographics2 Title1: | Zulu |
| Demographics2 Info1: | 74.8% |
| Demographics2 Title2: | English |
| Demographics2 Info2: | 10.6% |
| Demographics2 Title3: | Xhosa |
| Demographics2 Info3: | 7.6% |
| Demographics2 Title4: | Sotho |
| Demographics2 Info4: | 2.2% |
| Demographics2 Title5: | Other |
| Demographics2 Info5: | 4.8% |
| Timezone1: | SAST |
| Utc Offset1: | +2 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code (street) |
| Postal Code: | 3276 |
| Postal2 Code Type: | PO box |
| Postal2 Code: | 3276 |
| Area Code Type: | Area code |
| Area Code: | 039 |
Ixopo, also known as Stuartstown, is a town situated on a tributary of the uMkhomazi River along the R56 highway in the midlands of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
The town was laid out in 1878 and named after M Stuart, Resident Magistrate of the surrounding district, who was killed at the Battle of Ingogo in 1881.[2] Its name is derived from the Zulu onomatopoeic word, eXobo, describing the sound made as cattle squelch through mud.[3] The 'x', in Zulu, is pronounced as a lateral click.
The town is most famously described by Alan Paton in the opening lines of Cry, The Beloved Country: "There is a lovely road which runs from Ixopo into the hills. These hills are grass covered and rolling, and they are lovely beyond any singing of it."[3]
Until the mid-1980s, Ixopo was served by a railway station on the 610mm narrow gauge Umzinto - Donnybrook narrow gauge railway.[3]
3. R56 information Route 56 - Ixopo