It arose as an area leading in the trade of grains and jaggery.

This district on the Ganges river is 60 kilometres (37 mi) from New Delhi.

Chief Minister Mayawati justified the decision by declaring that Ghaziabad district was "far too big for administrative efficiency", and that creating smaller districts conformed to the ideas proposed by social reformers B. R. Ambedkar and Jyotirao Phule.

It falls within the National Capital Region of India but comes under the state legislature of Uttar Pradesh.

[8] Major industries in the district are food processing, paper, textiles and steel tube production.