Tapa is a town in Tapa Parish, Lääne-Viru County, Estonia. It lies at the junction of two of the country's main railway lines: the Tallinn–Narva line running west–east and the Tallinn–Tartu–Valga line running north–south.
The Valgejõgi River passes Tapa on its northeastern side. Tapa Army Base is located on the southern outskirts of the town, and the Estonian Defense Forces' central training area, the Keskpolügoon, lies to the north-west.
Throughout its history, Tapa has been known as both a railway town and a military town.