In August 2013, the district had an estimated population of 14,695 and an area of 208.41 km2.
All of the city of Sakata north of the Mogami River was formerly part of the Akumi District.
Akumi County was formerly part of Dewa Province, and was mentioned in the Engishiki records of the early Heian period.
At that time, the area consisted of two towns and 154 villages.
On November 1, 2005, as part of the Heisei period Municipal mergers and dissolutions in Japan, the city of Sakata and the towns of Hirata, Matsuyama and Yawata merged to form the new city of Sakata.