The city is located 80 kilometres (50 mi) northwest of Tokyo between the Tone and Watarase rivers.

[2] Ōta Town was created within Nitta District, Gunma Prefecture on April 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system after the Meiji Restoration.

On April 1, 2007, Ōta was designated special city (tokureishi) with expanded local autonomy.

Ōta has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 30 members.

In terms of national politics, the city is part of Gunma 3rd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

During the years before World War II, airplane production by Nakajima Aircraft Company was the industrial mainstay of Ōta.

Also, Ōta is a major transportation hub in the Tomo (Eastern Gunma) region and the home of the Panasonic Wild Knights rugby team.