The district headquarters at Gombe are approximately 31 kilometres (19 mi), by road, west of the town of Mpigi, the largest metropolitan area in the sub-region.

[1] This is approximately 68 kilometres (42 mi), by road, south-west of Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city.

[2] Created by an act of parliament, the district became operational on 1 July 2010, having been split off of Mpigi District, together with neighboring Gomba District.

Before becoming district, the area was Butambala County, one of the eighteen counties that constitute the Kingdom of Buganda.

[4][5] Subsistence agriculture and small-scale animal husbandry are the backbone of Butambala District's economy.