In the city there is a railway station "Balabanovo" of the Kiev direction of Russian Railways. Near the city is the main Federal highway M-Z "Ukraine".
The city is located in the interfluve of Protva (tributary of Oka), Istia (tributary of Nara) and Stradalovka, 76 km northeast of Kaluga and 90 km southwest of Moscow.
The population is 25,608 people (2018).
It was first mentioned in the XVII century as the village of Balabanovo. Since 1935 - urban-type settlement, the status of the city was assigned in 1972.
The main enterprises are the Plitspichprom match factory, a brick factory, the Stora Enso paper packaging company (Finland), the Ceramics of the Future plant; construction organizations work.
Education and science:
4 general education schools, 7 kindergartens, art school, branch of the Center for Social Pedagogy, city library and children's library, branch of MSPU, Balabanovsk educational college.
A branch of the Moscow State Humanitarian University named after M.A.Sholokhov has been opened. Works of the wood industry (VNIIDREV).
