Historically, the Binjai area was situated between two Malay kingdoms, Deli and Langkat.

According to both oral and written accounts of the history of the area, the city of Binjai grew from a small village located on the edge of the Bingai River, approximately where the Pekan Binjai village is located today.

Traditional ceremonies were held to lay the foundations of the small village in the shade of a large binjai tree at the edge of the Bingai River, which flows into the Wampu River, which is navigable for a large portion of its length.

A lively port also developed, visited by barges from Stabat, Tanjung Pura, and the Strait of Malacca.

As the crow flies, Binjai is only 8 km from Medan, although Kabupaten Deli Serdang separates the two.

Directly in front of the town hall is the Lapangan merdeka (Freedom Square), a civic open space, as well as the Pendopo Umar Baki, a building used for a variety of official and unofficial functions.

[1] The table also includes the number of administrative villages (all classed as urban kelurahan) in each district and its postcodes.

Note: (a) mainly suburban districts of Langkat Regency, outside the city's administrative boundaries.

Binjai is a multi-ethnic city, with Javanese, Batak, Chinese, Indian, and Malay citizens.

[5] Along with Deli Serdang Regency, the city functions effectively as a commuter town for Medan.

There is also oil and gas exploration occurring in the Tandam Hilir region, to the north of the city.

Aside from road transport out of the city, there is also a commuter train Sri Lelawangsa connecting Binjai with Medan; the continuing line to Kuala Bingai, Langkat Regency.