The two cities were united during the Soviet rule in 1962 under the Jēkabpils name, but retain their distinct regional character.

Archeological excavations on the nearby Asote mound indicate that this place was a busy trading centre for the Latgalians, one of the Latvian tribes, and had been inhabited since 1000 BC.

In 1670 this settlement, gradually growing around the Sala Inn, became known as Jēkabpils (Jakobstadt in German) in honor of the Duke of Courland, Jacob Kettler, who granted Magdeburg rights to the town.

At the Daugava River, he simultaneously spotted a lynx underneath a fir tree as well as a town at the same time.

In the period of the Duchy of Courland the residents of the town were mostly Russian Old believers, Poles and Lithuanians.

Duke Jacob built a small port in the town to transport goods from a nearby iron foundry.

At the end of the 17th century, there were an anchor mint, a gun foundry, lime and tar kilns and several other factories in Jacobstadt.

During the reign of Peter von Biron a small community of German-speaking craftsmen developed in the town besides Russians and Poles.

In 1861 with the opening of the Riga–Daugavpils railway through Krustpils the role of the Daugava and barges as a main means of transport decreased.

At the turn of the 20th century there were a bank, an insurance company, a match factory, a steam mill, a brewery, typography and several other enterprises.

One of the Struve Geodetic Arc original station points is located in Strūves park.

Between Nereta and Aknīste there is a museum "Riekstiņi" commemorating the famous Latvian writer Jānis Jaunsudrabiņš.