At the mouth of the River Krishna on the Bay of Bengal, the Masula port saw flourishing sea trade.

[16] Salabat Jung, the son of Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah I, who was indebted for his elevation to the throne to the French East India Company, granted them in return for their services the district of Kondavid or Guntur, and soon afterwards the remainder of the Circars.

The Circars were captured by the British from the French in 1759 and were returned to the Nizam, however, Masulipatnam was retained by the East India Company.

The average normal rainfall in the district is 959 millimetres (37.8 in) and Machilipatnam is vulnerable to high surges of the sea due to cyclones.

A storm surge, 5 meters high, inundated the Krishna estuary and the coast south of the city (Bandar).

On 8 December 2004, a high capacity S-Band Doppler cyclone warning radar was installed, commissioned and made operational at the city[21] by the German manufacturer Gematronik.

The present commissioner of the corporation is Sampath and the municipal chairperson is Motamarri Venkata Baba Prasad.

[31][32] The assembly segment is also a part of Machilipatnam (Lok Sabha constituency), which was won by Balashowry Vallabhaneni of Janasena Party.

[33] Machilipatnam is known for its handloom industry, which produces Kalamkari textiles exported to United States and other Asian countries.

[34] Machilipatnam was a trading base for the Europeans in the 17th century and known for minting copper coins, exporting diamonds, textiles etc., through the port.

[35] The AP state government is taking measures to bring back the glory of the former port city.

On 7 February 2019, it has started construction of a deep seaport and associated industrial corridor under the Machilipatnam Area Development Authority.

[42] Machilipatnam is home to the largest Shia Population in Entire Andhra Pradesh state .There are more than 100 Astanas/Imambargahs (Moharram ritual places).The Famous Chest beatings happens on Ashura in the Koneru Centre circle,attracting thousands of mourners and Visitors from other religions too .There are Imambargahs that are more than 600 years old like Zari Astana ,Baraimam Astana,Naqla Astana..etc .The Baraimam Alam is taken out for procession around streets of Machilipatnam ,It is taken out a night before Ashura and the krishna district police offers dhati (A cloth) to the Alam .Hundreds of Shia Muslisms from Hyderabad ,Chennai,Bangalore,Visakhapatnam visit Chehlum Astana for the 17th Safar of Islamic Calendar,where Hazrat Abbas(as)'Arabaeen is done attracting many mourners across south India .

The city's bus station is owned and operated by Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation.

Navayuga Engineering Company Limited is in the process of building a deep water port at Gilakaladinne of the city.