| Pethanaickenpalayam | |
| Other Name: | Peddanayakkanpalayam |
| Settlement Type: | Town |
| Pushpin Map: | Tamil Nadu#India |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Tamil Nadu, India |
| Coordinates: | 11.6489°N 78.5078°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Tamil Nadu |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Name2: | Salem |
| Subdivision Type3: | Taluk |
| Subdivision Name3: | Peddanayakkan Palayam |
| Unit Pref: | Metric |
| Area Total Km2: | 12.9 |
| Population Total: | 17,678 |
| Population As Of: | 2011 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Demographics Type1: | Languages |
| Demographics1 Title1: | Official |
| Demographics1 Info1: | Tamil |
| Timezone1: | IST |
| Utc Offset1: | +5:30 |
| Postal Code: | PIN 636 109 |
Pethanaickenpalayam (also spelled as Peddanayakkanpalayam or shortened to P.N. Palayam) is a town panchayat and headquarters of Pethanaickenpalayam taluk, in Salem district, Tamil Nadu, India.[1]
Pethanaickenpalayam is located within its namesake taluk, which is in the northeast of Salem district. It covers 12.9km2 of land in the south of the taluk, northwest of the border with Attur taluk. It is 35km (22miles) east of Salem, the district headquarters, and 250km (160miles) southwest of the state capital of Chennai. The Upper Vellar or Vasishta Nadi River flows to the northeast of the town during the wet season. A railway line and National Highway 79 pass through the center of town.[2]
In 2011 Pethanaickenpalayam had a population of 17,678 people living in 4,611 households. 8,768 (49.6%) of the inhabitants were male, while 8,910 (50.4%) were female. 1,771 children in the town, about 10% of the population, were at or below the age of 6. 66.2% of the population was literate. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes accounted for 36.8% and 0.78% of the population, respectively.[3]