Located midway between Tel Aviv and Haifa on the coastal plain near the city of Hadera, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hof HaCarmel Regional Council.

The modern town is named after the nearby ancient city of Caesarea Maritima, built by Herod the Great about 25–13 BCE as a major port.

During the Muslim rule of the Levant in the 7th century, the city degraded to a small village after the provincial capital was moved to Ramla and had an Arab majority until Crusader conquest.

In February 1948, the village was taken by a Palmach unit commanded by Yitzhak Rabin, following an earlier attack on a bus by Lehi militants.

The company transfers all profits from the development of Caesarea to the Foundation, which in turn contributes to organizations that advance higher education and culture across Israel.

[citation needed] The goal of the CDC is to establish a unique community that combines quality of life and safeguarding the environment with advanced industry and tourism.

[citation needed] Modern Caesarea, or Kesariya, remains today the only locality in Israel managed by a private organization rather than a municipal government.

[citation needed] Caesarea is a suburban community with a number of residents commuting to work in Tel Aviv or Haifa.

[citation needed] The Roman theatre located at Caesarea Maritima often hosts concerts by major Israeli and international artists, such as Shlomo Artzi, Yehudit Ravitz, Mashina, Deep Purple, Björk, Alanis Morissette, Idan Raichel and his project, as well as the Caesarea Jazz Festival.

The Ralli Museum in Caesarea houses a large collection of South American art and several Salvador Dalí originals.