According to the local tales, the tower of Etxaburu, which is located on a hill above the town, was built following the orders of the Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius.

The tower was afterwards destroyed by Henry IV of Castile and built again in the 16th century by Sancho López de Ibargüen.

Izurtza was part of the merindad of Durango, and it had voice and right to vote in the Juntas of Guerendiaga, where it occupied the seat number eleven.

Izurtza is made by a small urban core surrounding the BI-623 road and farming houses scattered through the hillsides.

Since the 20th century, the industrial expansion has caused the primary sector to lose its range as the main economical activity.