The first documented settlement in the territory that is now the Mecúfi District belonged to the town of Lúrio, which was created in 1904 by the Niassa Company.

[1] During World War I, the region was under attach by German patrols in January 1918 nearing the capital of the province in Pemba, then called Porto Amélia.

In 1931, the town became directly controlled by the Portuguese government.

The Mecúfi District has bene relatively safe from the Insurgency in Cabo Delgado that broke out in nearby areas in 2017 and became home to refugees from surrounding areas.

[2] However, the district was attacked on June 14, 2022 with one fatality in the village of Mancuaia.