The eastern region is low ground facing the ocean with spacious open flatland along the Okita and Satone Rivers.

Under the ritsuryō system, the area of Kitaibaraki was the northern tip of the Tōkaidō region, and was part of Hitachi Province.

The towns of Otsu and Hirakata and the village of Kitanakago were created with the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889.

On March 31, 1956 the towns of Otsu, Hirakata, Isohara and the villages of Sekinan, Sekimonto and Minaminakago merged to form the city of Kitaibaraki.

[6] Kitaibaraki has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 19 members.

In terms of national politics, the city is part of Ibaraki 5th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.