These rivers were used to distribute lumber to Kurume and Ōkawa at the end of the Edo Period, but with the completion of the Yoake Dam, the use of this route stopped.

Hita has a high annual precipitation rate, with over one third of the rain falling during the rainy season months of June and July.

It is mentioned in the Bungo no Kuni Fudoki, which was compiled between 720 and 740, which states that Emperor Keiko visited this area during his expedition to Kyushu.

Numerous Kofun period ruins indicate the presence of a powerful local kingdom in late prehistoric times.

During the Edo period it was divided between Mori Domain and tenryō territory ruled directly by the Tokugawa shogunate.

After the Meiji restoration, the towns of Mameda (豆田町 ) and Kuma (隈町) within Hita District, Ōita were established on May 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system.

Hita has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 22 members.

In terms of national politics, the city is part of the Ōita 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

From the 1960s, after large areas of cultivated land became difficult to obtain, agriculture in Hita has been shifting its focus from rice to crops grown in the mountains, such as ume, Japanese chestnuts, and mushrooms.

Recently, companies such as TDK, Kyushu Sumidenso, Sapporo Breweries, and Sanwa Shurui have expanded manufacturing in the area.

Traces of old Kyoto are apparent in the streets of Mameda-machi (豆田町), a town where buildings of the time period have been preserved.

The school's name means "everyone is welcome," and students from all over Japan came to study in Hita, regardless of age, gender, or social status.

Kangien has been designated as a Japan Heritage site and two buildings remain standing: Shūfūan (秋風庵) and Enshirō (遠思楼).

The former village of Kamitsue is home to international racing circuit Autopolis The luxury Aru Ressha train was designed by Eiji Mitooka.

During this festival, the museums and old houses of Mameda-machi and Kuma-machi open their doors to the public and display their collection of dolls.

The name of the festival comes from the phrase tenryō, used to describe such direct Tokugawa landholdings (Hita was part of the territory overseen by the saigoku gundai, the deputy of the western provinces).