Hwangju is bordered to the northwest by Sariwŏn, to the northeast by Songrim and Kangnam, to the southwest by Yŏnt'an, to the south by Pongsan, and to the southeast by Ŭnch'ŏn During the Joseon Dynasty, Hwangju was one of the most important cities in the area, leading to the first character of its name to be used in naming North Hwanghae Province.

In 1930 its importance increased when Songrim, then a township of Hwangju County, was promoted to town status and renamed Kyomipo (Kenjiho in Japanese).

There, the Japanese built a flourishing steel plant, which brought much prosperity to Hwangju.

In 1947 Songrim was separated from Hwangju and made a city; since then, the county has been mostly agricultural.

The county is served by the Pyongbu Railway Line, which stops in at Hwangju Station.