Koutiala serves as the capital of its administrative Cercle, home to 575,253 people in 2009.

Situated in Minianka country, Koutiala was founded in the 16th century by members of the Coulibaly family from the Bambara kingdom of Segou.

[1] Koutiala's sister city is Alençon, France.

[4] Aside from cotton it is also noted for grain production, primarily pearl millet, sorghum and maize.

[5] Koutiala is the second most industrial city in Mali, hosting, among others, the Compagnie malienne pour le développement du textile (CMDT) and the Huilerie cotonnière du Mali (HUICOMA).