<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0303</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2008-11-25</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001130866</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>HITTITE MICROWAVE CORP</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>HITT</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001330182</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Ayasli Yalcin</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O HITTITE MICROWAVE CORPORATION</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>20 ALPHA ROAD</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>CHELMSFORD</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>MA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>01824</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle></officerTitle>
            <otherText></otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>3499269</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>See Footnote</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2008-11-25</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F2"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>17000</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>27.3369</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>5918004</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <derivativeTable></derivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Represents shares held by Ayasli Children LLC, of which the Reporting Person is the manager and the Reporting Person's children are the members.  The Reporting Person disclaims beneficial ownership of all such shares except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein, and the inclusion of these shares in this report shall not be deemed an admission of beneficial ownership of such shares for purposes of Section 16 or for any other purpose.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">The sale reported in this Form 4 was effected pursuant to a 10b5-1 trading plan adopted by the reporting person.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">This price represents the weighted average sale price of multiple transactions on the reported date at prices that ranged between $27.05 and $27.75. All sales data is available upon the Commission's request. Detailed information regarding the number of shares sold at each separate price will be provided upon request by the Commission staff, the issuer, or a security holder of the issuer.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Robert W. Sweet, Jr., Attorney-in-fact</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2008-11-26</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
