The administrative centre of the state of Pahang was officially relocated to Kuantan on 27 August 1955 from Kuala Lipis, and was officiated by HRH Sultan Abu Bakar Ri'ayatuddin Al Muadzam Shah,[2] the Sultan of Pahang.

The name was notably mentioned in Munshi Abdullah's travelogue Kisah Pelayaran ke Kelantan circa 1851/2: ...On Thursday night came a boat from Kuantan.

The village was situated at the mouth of Teruntum River which is in front of the current hospital and it was established by Haji Senik[who?]

The main evidence of the establishment of the village is the cemetery that is situated near Taman Esplanade in front of the current Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan.

Towards the late 19th century, arrival of Chinese miners and traders saw the establishment of a township in Kuantan and nearby tin mining areas such as Gambang and Sungai Lembing.

Similar to what occurred in other states in Peninsular Malaysia, rubber plantations attracted Indian settlers as well.

In 2006, Kuantan experienced significant air pollution that affected visibility because of the haze blowing in from Sumatra and the West Coast of Peninsular Malaysia.

The launch of SEZ in 2009 by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is one of the first of its kind in Malaysia.

ECER SEZ serves as a catalyst to fast-track the economic development in the east coast.

At the centre of southeast Asia with four seaports (Kuantan Port as the main gateway) and two airports, ECER SEZ will serve good transportation link between Indochina, India and China.

There are scenic beaches popular among vacationers in the city's vicinity, such as Batu Hitam, Balok, Chenor, Pantai Sepat, Beserah, and Cherating.

There is another hanging bridge on the outskirts of Sungai Lembing town (visible from the main road, on the right side).

There are also some symbolic concept behind the tower's design: Kuantan 188 was official inaugurated on 21 February 2021 by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah (who also is the Sultan of Pahang) via video footage played on a giant screen during the event.

It expected to revitalise the state tourism sector by attracting thousand of tourists to the city.

Fresh grilled fish or ikan bakar can be purchased at Tanjung Lumpur and Beserah area mostly located near fishermen's village.

Very popular and sold by street vendors (especially at the night markets) are varieties of satay which consists of grilled meat on a stick which is dipped into peanut sauce and roti canai, a thick flatbread dipped in a dhal curry sauce.

The International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), which is a branch from the main campus in Gombak.

Kolej Komuniti Kuantan was founded in 2001 and currently operating at a permanent campus in Bandar Indera Mahkota.

UMP offers undergraduates and postgraduates education mainly in engineering and technical fields through its 7 faculties and centre.

All follow the syllabus and curriculum provided and regulated by the Malaysian Ministry of Education (Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia).

Kuantan is now more accessible by road transportation than before, primarily because of the opening of East Coast Expressway.

The East Coast Expressway, which begins in Gombak, Selangor and ends near Kuala Terengganu, also links Kuantan to other major towns in Pahang.

Besides Kuala Terengganu and Kota Bharu, the other two capitals of the east coast, the scenic coastal road (Federal Route 3) also runs southward through Pekan, Kuala Rompin, Mersing before terminating in Johor Bahru just before the interchange to Singapore.

This route winds through verdant forests and small coastal towns, and a stretch of beautiful quiet beaches at Rompin and Lanjut.

Tickets for these buses are available from Hentian Pekeliling or Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (TBS) in Kuala Lumpur.

These express buses will stop at the Terminal Kuantan Sentral at Bandar Indera Mahkota.

RapidKuantan buses are accessible to most places in Kuantan even from Pekan, the neighbouring town and from Kemaman in Terengganu.

The main stop centre of RapidKuantan is near the General Market (Pasar Besar) and the Darul Makmur Stadium.

The upcoming MRL East Coast Rail Link, connecting Kota Bharu and Port Klang, will serve the city.