Akasztó covering an area of 64.88 km2 lies in the northern edge of the Little Cumania region.

According to local tales, the name of the town comes from the Hungarian word akasztani which means to hang in English.

The area was known for its muddy roads that hanged the wheels of a coach.

In the early 18th century Slovak farmers settled in the region.

Before World War II, the local winery and mill industry belonged to Count Mihály Cseszneky de Milvány, but his fortune was nationalised in the Communist-ruled People's Republic of Hungary.