Cárdenas is a municipality in the Mexican state of Tabasco, located in the Grijalva River region and in the Chontalpa subregion. It owes its name to the illustrious Presbyter and Dr. José Eduardo de Cárdenas y Romero, Deputy for Tabasco before the Cortes of Cádiz and who promoted the foundation of the municipal seat by donating the land for its settlement. Its municipal seat is the city of Heroica Cárdenas and has a division constituted, in addition, by 59 surrounding urban colonies, 58 ejidos, 51 rancherías, 21 towns, 8 rural colonies, 6 subdivisions and 2 villas. The latter are the villas of Sánchez Magallanes and Villa Benito Juárez. Its extension is 2,112 km², which corresponds to 8.3% of the total state.
This places the municipality in the fifth place in territorial extension.