Although several pharmacies and doctors practice in the area, as of 2015 the town no longer has an independent municipal health department (Turkish: sağlık ocağı), and such affairs are operated and administered by the district.

[9][8] The ease of access to the town makes the administration of several shuttle buses and share taxis by the province and from central İzmir to Özdere and its beaches possible.

[5][8] The areas surrounding the Gulf of İzmir and Karaburun Peninsula have been settled since prehistoric times, with the earliest settlements near Özdere dating to 5,000 BC.

[3] During the peak of the Bronze Age, during around the 2nd millennium BC, the nearby lands were referred to as Kasura by resident Hittite clans, evidenced by the findings of ancient Arzawan structures and engravings atop the mountains of the peninsula.

[6] After Ionian settlers and surveyors arrived in the area, numerous cities were built and several temples and sites of worship erected within the vicinity of Özdere, which they named Dios Hieron.

Subsequently, after the compromised Byzantine Empire lost many of its former territories to the Seljuk Turks, the fall of the Sultanate of Rum led to the partitioning of Asia Minor into small, loosely associated Anatolian beyliks, or principalities.

The region which Özdere is located in today was discovered and settled in 1329 by the Aydinid and future Emir (Prince) of Aydın Umur Bey, and at the time was named the village of İpsili.

During the annexation of the principality by the growing Ottoman Empire, which was once a beylik in itself, the areas surrounding İpsili were expanded, and as a result, the village of Kesri, sometimes referred to as Kesre, was constructed and founded.

The village continued to grow and remained under the same name until the establishment of the Republic of Turkey, when the influence of modern Turkish led to it being renamed Özdere.

This period was characterised by a large scale urbanization effort with a significant population increase, which in turn prompted the district of Menderes to establish the municipality of Özdere within itself.

With both shorter days and rainier weather taken into consideration, the town receives substantially fewer hours of daily sunshine during the winter than in any other season of the year.

[9] The inhabitants of some of the older settlements within the town, such as within Cumhuriyet Mahallesi, wear different styles and assortments of traditional shalwar clothing, including sweaters in the winter and in colder weather, and sometimes seen in the headscarves of married women.

During weddings, variations of the standard traditional attire may be seen, including such features as frilly pant sleeves, embroidered patterns and elastic waist belts and bands.

[27] During the summer months, live shows, outdoor concerts and theatrical events are hosted in order to increase public excitement and attract more visitors.

[8] The town hosts a local sports club, officially registered and regulated under the name Özdere Belediye Spor by the Turkish Football Federation.

[28] On June 3, 1979, Özdere was incorporated as a constituent municipality of Menderes District in İzmir Province, with Arif Sinan being the town's first assigned mayor.

[3] In 2014, during the Menderes local elections, incumbent Bülent Soylu of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) won first past the post with 20,654 votes.

[31] The former mayors of Özdere were as follows: Arif Sinan from 1979 until 1980, Hasan Taşkin from 1980 to 1981, from 1981 to 1984 Mecit Gökyokuş, Şükrü Özkan between 1984 and 1989, and finally Haldun Ertok from that point onwards until 2008.

[41] In the inner streets, food vendors and farmer's markets operate modestly and see more success during the summer, a high point for tourism in the town when the climate and beach conditions are more favorable.

[41] Travel agencies, rental car and holiday home services, and the like thrive in Özdere due to its high demand and the town's continuous expansion.

[42][43] Income from tourism and its industry are estimated to be growing each year, and by the beginning of the 21st century the amount of currency exchanged within the town totaled at approximately 1,000,000,000,000 ₺.

The bus stations (Turkish: otogar) in İzmir, Kuşadası, and Seferihisar operate coach buses at varying time intervals to Özdere.