Padang Panjang (sometimes written as Padangpanjang, means long field) is located in the cool highlands of West Sumatra, inland from the provincial capital Padang. It sits on a plateau beneath the volcanoes Mount Marapi and Mount Singgalang. It has an area of 23 km² and a population of over 40,000. It is located at . Literally translated, the town name means "long field".
Home to a famous performing arts conservatorium, Sekolah Tinggi Seni Indonesia (STSI) - Padang Panjang ("college of traditional Indonesian arts"), the town stretches up the hill from the marketplace and central mosque, to the soccer field and bus terminal on up to STSI. The main road through Padang Panjang links coastal Padang and the highland capital, Bukittinggi.
The town is also home to the Minangkabau Cultural Documentation and Information Center (Pusat Dokumentasi dan Informasi Kebudayaan Minangkabau - PDIKM).
