The area of Kanoya was part of ancient Ōsumi Province, and was part of the Shimazu-shō, a vast shōen landed manor in Ōsumi, Satsuma that was opened at the end of the Heian period, and which evolved into Satsuma Domain in the Edo period.

After the Meiji restoration, the village of Kanoya was established with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889.

[citation needed] Kanoya has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 26 members.

In terms of national politics, the city is part of the Kagoshima 4th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Kanoya has a primary economy centering on agriculture, fishing, livestock raising and food processing.

Kanoya is the most populous city in Japan outside of Okinawa Prefecture without passenger rail services, after the closure of the Ōsumi Line [ja] in 1987.