The territory of the district is mostly flat with altitudes ranging from 0 to 150 meters (0 to 492 ft) above sea level.

A number of islands in the Gulf of Finland belong to the district, including Gogland, Moshchny, and Seskar.

Originally, the area of the district was populated by Finnic peoples, until eventually, the Slavs began arriving.

In 1617, according to the Treaty of Stolbovo, the area was transferred to Sweden, and in the 1700s, during the Great Northern War, it was conquered back by Russia.

In 1780, part of the area was transferred into newly established Narvsky Uyezd of Saint Petersburg Governorate.

[9] On August 1, 1927, the uyezds were abolished and Kingiseppsky District, with the administrative center in the town of Kingisepp, was established.

[10] Between August 1941 and February 1944, during World War II, the district was occupied by German troops.

In February 1944, the Kingisepp–Gdov Offensive, a military operation in which the Soviet Army advanced to the east bank of the Narva and of Lake Peipus, took place here.

[11] The areas adjacent to the Narva River, including the town of Ivangorod, were assigned to Estonia in 1920, following the Estonian War of Independence and the Treaty of Tartu, signed on February 2, 1920.

On November 24, 1944 this area was transferred to Leningrad Oblast and shared between Slantsevsky (south) and Kingiseppsky (north) Districts.

Between March 22, 1935 and September 19, 1940, Osminsky District was a part of Kingisepp Okrug of Leningrad Oblast.

[13] After the abortive administrative reform of the 1960s, its territory became split between Slantsevsky, Volosovsky, Luzhsky, and Kingiseppsky Districts.

[10] The western and northern part of the district, a strip along the Narva River, with the town of Ivangorod, and a strip along the coast of the Gulf of Finland, is included into the border security zone, intended to protect the borders of Russia from unwanted activity.

In order to visit the zone, a permit issued by the local Federal Security Service department is required.

The A180 highway, connecting Saint Petersburg and Ivangorod, crosses the district from east to west, passing through Kingisepp.

It coincides with the European route E20 connecting Saint Petersburg via Tallinn with Shannon Airport.