A plugged honeycomb structure comprising a honeycomb structure having porous partition walls defining and forming a plurality of cells (5, 6) communicating between two end faces (9, 10), and a circumferential wall formed integrally with the partition walls, wherein the cells comprise partial cells positioned in an outermost circumferential portion of the honeycomb structure and being partially in contact with the circumferential wall, and normal cells other than the partial cells, the partial cells comprising both partial cells each having an area ratio obtained by Equation of smaller than 80% and partial cells each having an area ratio obtained by Equation of 80% or more, as to the normal cells, a plugging portion is formed in one end portion of each normal cell in such a plugging pattern that the two end faces (9, 10) of the honeycomb structure show complementary checkered patterns, and as to the partial cells, in the partial cells in which the plugging portion is to be formed in one end portion thereof to follow the plugging pattern, the plugging portion is not formed in at least some of the partial cells each having an area ratio obtained by Equation of smaller than 80%, the ratio of the number of such partial cells in which the area ratio obtained by Equation is smaller than 80% and in which the plugging portions are not formed, relative to the number of all the partial cells in which the plugging portion is to be formed in the one end portion thereof to follow the plugging pattern, is 80% or less; and in the partial cells each having an area ratio of 80% or more obtained by Equation and at which the plugging portion is to be formed in the one end portion to follow the plugging pattern, 95% or more, with respect to the total number of such partial cells each having an area ratio of 80% or more at which the plugging portion is to be formed in the one end portion to follow the plugging pattern, are provided with the plugging portions formed therein: the area ratio % = an area of the partial cell / an area of the normal cell × 100 wherein the cells comprise partial cells positioned in an outermost circumferential portion of the honeycomb structure and being partially in contact with the circumferential wall, and normal cells other than the partial cells, the partial cells comprising both partial cells each having an area ratio obtained by Equation of smaller than 80% and partial cells each having an area ratio obtained by Equation of 80% or more, as to the normal cells, a plugging portion is formed in one end portion of each normal cell in such a plugging pattern that the two end faces (9, 10) of the honeycomb structure show complementary checkered patterns, and as to the partial cells, in the partial cells in which the plugging portion is to be formed in one end portion thereof to follow the plugging pattern, the plugging portion is not formed in at least some of the partial cells each having an area ratio obtained by Equation of smaller than 80%, the ratio of the number of such partial cells in which the area ratio obtained by Equation is smaller than 80% and in which the plugging portions are not formed, relative to the number of all the partial cells in which the plugging portion is to be formed in the one end portion thereof to follow the plugging pattern, is 80% or less; and in the partial cells each having an area ratio of 80% or more obtained by Equation and at which the plugging portion is to be formed in the one end portion to follow the plugging pattern, 95% or more, with respect to the total number of such partial cells each having an area ratio of 80% or more at which the plugging portion is to be formed in the one end portion to follow the plugging pattern, are provided with the plugging portions formed therein: the area ratio % = an area of the partial cell / an area of the normal cell × 100