In the post-Independence era, Madurai District, headquartered at Madurai City, was one of the largest districts of Tamil Nadu. It was also the administrative headquarters of the neighboring Ramanathapuram District. However, in 1984, the then huge Madurai district was bifurcated into Madurai and Dindigul Districts for administrative convenience. Again, in 1997, it was bifurcated into Madurai and Theni Districts. Like all other districts of India, it is administered by a District Collector, a person from the Indian Administrative Service.

The Madurai Corporation has an elected Mayor and several Councillors, each representing a ward. Madurai district has 15 representatives in Tamil Nadu State Legislative Assembly and two Members in the Lok Sabha, the House of Representatives of the Indian Parliament.

There is a bench of the Madras High Court in Madurai, the only location outside of Chennai to have such a setup.