In 1882, more than 3,000 peasants gathered at the Danjo-ga-hara Field in Shiokawa and then marched on the Kitakata Police Station to rebel against the oppression of the prefectural government.

Known as the Kitakata Incident of 1882, it was the first public expression of the Freedom and People's Rights Movement in the Tohoku area.

On January 4, 2006, the towns of Shiokawa and Yamato, and the villages of Atsushiokanō and Takasato (all from Yama District) were merged into Kitakata.

Kitakata has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 25 members.

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