Today, Butterworth is a town suffering from decentralization with administrative and commercial centres shifted to nearby suburbs such as Seberang Jaya, Prai and Kepala Batas.
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The town with a low-lying area close to sea level is bordered by Prai in the south, Seberang Jaya in the east, both are separated by the Prai River, and Telok Air Tawar in the north.
It has three regional offices, located in Prai, Gebeng and Pasir Gudang, and seven branch offices located throughout Peninsular Malaysia.
Prai River Bridge (Jambatan Sungai Prai in Malay) is a dual-three lane cable stayed bridge connecting the banks of the Prai River in Prai, Penang.