This makes the town one of the tourist destinations in Ethiopia, which comprises Nech Sar National Park, home to the country's varied wildlife and plant species.

Located at the base of the western side of the Great Rift Valley, Arba Minch consists of the uptown administrative centre of Shecha and 4 kilometers away the downtown commercial and residential areas of Sikela, which are connected by a paved road.

Arba Minch was founded in the early 1960s by the Fitawrari Aemeroselasie Abebe in the area locally known as "Ganta Garo".

At the beginning of the Ethiopian Revolution public demonstrations occurred in the town,[8] and four people were killed in clashes with the police on 28 March 1974.

[8] The 193 million birr Arba Minch Textile Mill was opened on 6 May 1992 in the presence of Ethiopian Prime Minister Tamirat Layne.

The majority of the inhabitants practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, with 56.04% of the population reporting that belief, 38.47% were Protestants, and 4.16% were Muslim.