Cauquenes' founder was the then Governor of the Kingdom of Chile, José Antonio Manso de Velasco.

Cauquenes is a toponym from the term "cauque", a salmonid species extinct today that inhabited the rivers of the area.

[8] According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Cauquenes spans an area of 2,126.3 km2 (821 sq mi) and has 41,217 inhabitants (20,092 men and 21,125 women).

The 2008-2012 alcalde is Juan Carlos Muñoz Rojas (RN).The municipal council has the following members:[1][2] Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Cauquenes is represented in the Chamber of Deputies by Ignacio Urrutia (UDI), Rolando Rentería (UDI), Manuel Matta (PDC) and Jaime Naranjo (PS) as part of the 18th electoral district.

The commune is represented in the Senate Ximena Rincón González (PDC), Juan Castro Prieto (Ind-RN), Rodrigo Galilea Vial (RN), Juan Antonio Coloma Correa (UDI) and Álvaro Elizalde Soto (PS) as part of the 9th senatorial constituency (Maule).