It is the headquarters of Hathras district, formed on 3 May 1997 by merging parts of Aligarh, Mathura and Agra.

Under British rule, Hathras rapidly rose to commercial importance, and for a while ranked second to Cawnpore (now Kanpur) among the trading centres of the Doab.

[7] Hathras falls under the Braj region of Northern India and is famous for its industrial, literary, and cultural activities as a part of Aligarh.

[11] It has an average elevation of 185 metres (606 feet) and is situated on the Agra, Aligarh and Mathura, and Bareilly highway crossings.

The monsoon season starts in late June, continuing until early October, bringing high humidity.