Created in 2007, the ward elects four councillors using the single transferable vote electoral system and covers an area with a population of 17,280 people.

The ward is a Labour stronghold with the party winning half the seats at every election.

The ward was created following the Fourth Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements ahead of the 2007 Scottish local elections.

As a result of the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004, local elections in Scotland would use the single transferable vote electoral system from 2007 onwards so Kilwinning was formed from an amalgamation of several previous first-past-the-post wards.

The ward centres on the town of Kilwinning in central North Ayrshire.