Ōgaki was the final destination for the haiku poet Matsuo Bashō on one of his long journeys as recounted in his book Oku no Hosomichi.

Ōgaki is located in the northwest area of the Nōbi Plain in Gifu Prefecture and is known as being the most centrally-located city in Japan.

In the post-Meiji restoration cadastral reforms, the town of Ogaki was established within Anpachi District, Gifu Prefecture with the creation of the modern municipalities system on July 1, 1889.

The city suffered severe flooding during the 1934 Muroto typhoon, and was largely destroyed in six air raids in 1945.

Ōgaki has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 22 members.