Colombo 01–15 are numbered postal areas within Colombo city. The names run from Fort in Colombo 01 to Mattakkuliya, Modara, Mutwal and Madampitiya in Colombo 15. They are not a complete list of Colombo District or every place people call a Colombo suburb.
Use the first table for the Colombo 1 to 15 name list. The sections below separately explain Colombo suburbs, Greater Colombo, Colombo South and the official Colombo District divisions.
Colombo 1 to 15 names and areas
| Colombo number | Main area name | Other commonly used names or neighbourhoods |
|---|---|---|
| Colombo 01 | Fort | Kotuwa, Colombo Fort |
| Colombo 02 | Kompanna Veediya | Union Place; formerly called Slave Island in English |
| Colombo 03 | Kollupitiya | Colpetty |
| Colombo 04 | Bambalapitiya | — |
| Colombo 05 | Narahenpita, Havelock Town | Kirulapone North |
| Colombo 06 | Wellawatte, Pamankada | Kirulapone South |
| Colombo 07 | Cinnamon Gardens | Kurunduwatta |
| Colombo 08 | Borella | — |
| Colombo 09 | Dematagoda | — |
| Colombo 10 | Maradana | Panchikawatte |
| Colombo 11 | Pettah | Pitakotuwa |
| Colombo 12 | Hulftsdorp | Aluthkade |
| Colombo 13 | Kotahena, Bloemendhal | Kochchikade |
| Colombo 14 | Grandpass | — |
| Colombo 15 | Mattakkuliya, Modara, Mutwal | Madampitiya |
These are the names most commonly associated with each numbered area. A neighbourhood or road can meet a postal boundary, so use the postcode for the exact delivery address rather than choosing a Colombo number from this table alone. Sri Lanka Post explains that postcodes zone the country for mail sorting and delivery.
For the five-digit codes, use the separate Colombo postal codes and zip codes guide.
Colombo 2, 5, 7 and 15: names people often check
Colombo 2 is Kompanna Veediya
Colombo 02 is Kompanna Veediya, with Union Place forming a well-known part of the area. “Slave Island” is the former English name and may still appear in older addresses, map labels and search results.
The official change matters when writing a current address. Gazette Extraordinary No. 2333/03, effective from 22 May 2023, replaced the English name “Slave Island” with “Kompanna Veediya” for the Grama Niladhari division.
Colombo 5 is Narahenpita and Havelock Town
Colombo 05 commonly covers Narahenpita, Havelock Town and Kirulapone North. It should not be confused with Colombo 06, which is associated with Wellawatte, Pamankada and Kirulapone South.
Colombo 7 is Cinnamon Gardens
Colombo 07 is Cinnamon Gardens, also called Kurunduwatta. Independence Square, Colombo Town Hall, the National Museum and many diplomatic premises are in or around this part of the city.
Colombo 15 includes several northern city areas
Colombo 15 is not represented by only one neighbourhood name. It commonly includes Mattakkuliya, Modara, Mutwal and Madampitiya.
Are Colombo 1–15 suburbs?
The numbered areas are best understood as Colombo city postal areas. People sometimes call the individual neighbourhoods “suburbs,” but Colombo 01–15 should not be treated as a list of the wider suburbs outside the city boundary.
The distinction is useful because the systems overlap but are not identical:
- Colombo 01–15 identifies numbered city and postal areas.
- Colombo Municipal Council administers the city through its own municipal structure. Its city profile says Colombo covers 37 square kilometres and is divided into six districts for administrative purposes—not 15. See the Colombo Municipal Council city profile.
- Colombo District is a much larger government district containing Colombo city and many other localities.
- Greater Colombo is a broad metropolitan term whose boundary varies by planning or everyday context.
Colombo is Sri Lanka’s commercial capital. Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte, immediately east of Colombo, is the country’s administrative capital.
Colombo suburbs list
There is no single everyday boundary that everyone uses for “Colombo suburbs.” The following is a practical grouping of places commonly described as being in Colombo or its connected suburban area. It is not a substitute for an official postal or administrative address.
| Broad direction from central Colombo | Commonly included suburbs and urban areas | District note |
|---|---|---|
| South coast | Dehiwala, Mount Lavinia, Ratmalana, Moratuwa | Colombo District |
| South and south-east | Nugegoda, Kohuwala, Kalubowila, Boralesgamuwa, Maharagama, Kottawa, Pannipitiya, Piliyandala, Homagama | Colombo District |
| Capital and eastern side | Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte, Rajagiriya, Nawala, Battaramulla, Pelawatte, Thalawathugoda | Colombo District |
| North-east and Kelani corridor | Kolonnawa, Wellampitiya, Gothatuwa, Kotikawatta, Angoda, Malabe, Athurugiriya, Kaduwela | Colombo District |
| North of Colombo | Peliyagoda, Kelaniya, Wattala, Hendala | Commonly grouped with metropolitan Colombo, but in Gampaha District |
This distinction prevents a common address error: Nugegoda, Battaramulla, Dehiwala and the other external suburbs are not additional Colombo 01–15 numbers. They have their own locality names and postcodes.
What is Greater Colombo?
Greater Colombo generally means the continuous urban area formed by Colombo city and surrounding municipalities and suburbs. In ordinary property, travel and business usage, it may include places such as Kotte, Dehiwala–Mount Lavinia, Kolonnawa, Nugegoda, Battaramulla, Maharagama and Moratuwa.
The term does not replace an official district, municipal council, Divisional Secretariat division or postcode. Its exact boundary can change with the purpose of a planning document or dataset. When completing a government, banking, delivery or legal form, enter the specific locality and administrative area requested rather than writing only “Greater Colombo.”
Colombo South areas list
“Colombo South” is also a practical geographic description rather than one fixed postal division. Depending on the context, it can refer to:
- the southern city areas, especially Bambalapitiya and Wellawatte;
- the coastal belt through Dehiwala, Mount Lavinia, Ratmalana and Moratuwa; and
- nearby inland suburbs such as Kohuwala, Nugegoda, Kalubowila, Boralesgamuwa, Maharagama and Piliyandala.
For an address, school zone, electoral matter or government service, check the named authority’s boundary instead of relying on “Colombo South” alone.
Official Colombo District divisions
Colombo District extends far beyond Colombo 01–15. The Department of Census and Statistics identifies 13 Divisional Secretariat divisions in the district:
| Divisional Secretariat division | Divisional Secretariat division |
|---|---|
| Colombo | Kolonnawa |
| Kaduwela | Homagama |
| Seethawaka | Padukka |
| Maharagama | Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte |
| Thimbirigasyaya | Dehiwala |
| Ratmalana | Moratuwa |
| Kesbewa | — |
The department’s 2024 Census final report confirms that Colombo District has 13 Divisional Secretariat divisions. Its detailed Colombo District Grama Niladhari report provides the division names and explains that each contains multiple Grama Niladhari divisions.
This is an administrative list, not a list of only 13 towns. A suburb may sit within one of these divisions while using a different postal locality or local-authority name.
How to write the correct Colombo area in an address
- Use the actual locality or neighbourhood shown in the official address.
- Use Colombo 01–15 only when the address is inside that numbered postal area.
- Add the correct five-digit postcode for mail or delivery forms.
- If a form asks for the district, Divisional Secretariat division or local authority, provide that administrative area—not “Greater Colombo.”
- Confirm an uncertain boundary or postcode with the relevant post office or government office.
For postal use, check the Colombo postcode list and follow Sri Lanka Post’s postcode guidance rather than guessing from a nearby suburb.
Sources and boundary notes
- Sri Lanka Post: Postcodes — purpose and use of postal zones and postcodes.
- Gazette Extraordinary No. 2333/03 — official English name change to Kompanna Veediya.
- Colombo Municipal Council: City of Colombo — municipal city profile and administrative distinction.
- Department of Census and Statistics: Census of Population and Housing 2024 — current district administrative structure.
- Department of Census and Statistics: Colombo District GN statistics — named Divisional Secretariat divisions and GN structure.
