The name has been derived from either Latin ora "brim, edge, margin" (reflected as Rumantsch ur), or from a pre-Roman hydronym containing the PIE root u̯er "water", in either case extended by a suffix in -n-.

This tradition may date as far back as the Middle High German period, reflected in the introduction of the cantonal seal showing a bull's head in the 13th century.

[6] There are traces of settlement dating to the Bronze and Iron Age, with suggestions of trans-alpine trade with Quinto in Ticino and the alpine Rhine valley.

The Gotthard Pass was opened in 1230, and Uri was granted imperial immediacy by Henry VII in the following year.

As early as 1243 Uri had a district seal, and in 1274, Rudolph of Habsburg, who was now the Holy Roman Emperor, confirmed its privileges.

[7] Since at least the 10th century, the people of Uri signed treaties as a collective, as nos inhabitantes Uroniam (955) or homines universi vallis Uranie (1273).

A treaty of mutual recognition and assistance with Schwyz, possibly concluded in 1291 and certainly by 1309, would come to be regarded as the foundational act of the Old Swiss Confederacy or Eidgenossenschaft.

[9] Over the following decades, the Confederacy expanded into the Acht Orte, now representing a regional power with the potential to challenge Habsburg hegemony.

Following the victory at Sempach, Uri began a program of territorial expansion to allow them to control the entire Gotthard route.

In 1403, Uri began to acquire its transmontane bailiwicks, with the help of Obwalden taking the Leventina valley from the duke of Milan.

The conflict between the Swiss Confederacy and the Duchy of Milan for territories now forming canton of Ticino continued throughout the 15th century.

As the Reformation spread through the Swiss Confederation, the five central, catholic cantons felt increasingly isolated and they began to search for allies.

After two months of negotiations, the Five Cantons formed die Christliche Vereinigung (the Christian Alliance) with Ferdinand of Austria on 22 April 1529.

Growth of Uri stagnated in the early modern period, due to the limited availability of arable land, as well as disease and crop failures.

[7] The government of Uri spoke out against the ideals of the French Revolution and opposed any attempt to institute changes in Switzerland.

On 11 April the victorious French announced the creation of the Helvetic Republic and gave the cantons twelve days to accept the new constitution.

The cantons of Central Switzerland attempted to resist, but the uprising was suppressed and on 5 May Uri agreed to accept the Helvetic Republic.

[7] Under the Helvetic Republic, Uri was part of the Canton of Waldstätten, along with Zug, Obwalden, Nidwalden and the inner portions of Schwyz.

The Leventina valley was given to the newly formed Canton of Ticino, stripping Uri of all possessions south of the Gotthard.

The damage from fighting, Suvorov's retreat and other disasters (including a fire that destroyed much of Altdorf in 1799) caused a famine in Uri.

Although the government commissioner, Heinrich Zschokke, organized a relief effort to prevent starvation, it took years for Uri to repair the damage to the villages and towns.

The governor, Josef Anton von Beroldingen, attempted unsuccessfully to bring the Leventina valley back into Uri.

In early June, Uri rejected the newest constitution while at the same time French troops withdrew from Switzerland.

As part of the Act of Mediation, Uri regained its independence and all attempts towards religious or constitutional reform were resisted.

Discontent with the cantonal government collected until 1834 when a reform party demanded a number of liberal constitutional changes.

To protect their traditional religion and power structure, the seven conservative, catholic cantons formed a separate alliance or Sonderbund in 1843.

During the conflict, Uri sent troops to participate in the fighting along the Reuss-Emme defensive line as well as on the foray over the Gotthard into Ticino.

[13] The historical population is given in the following chart:[7] From the 2000 census[update], 29,846 or 85.8% were Roman Catholic, while 1,809 or 5.2% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church.

[13] There are 39 cable cars in the valley which provide access to numerous peaks, hiking and bike trails as well as ski slopes and cross-country tracks.

[20] The Canton of Uri is named as erstwhile home of "Heinz the Baron Claus Von Espy" in American 2003 movie, "Intolerable Cruelty", produced by the Coen Brothers.