The division was created at the start of the 1970–71 season, when the league expanded from 14 to 17 teams with the addition of the Buffalo Braves, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Midwest Division began with four inaugural members, the Chicago Bulls, the Detroit Pistons, the Milwaukee Bucks and the Phoenix Suns.
The division was disbanded when the league expanded from 29 to 30 teams with the addition of the Charlotte Bobcats at the start of the 2004–05 season.
The 2003–04 season, the division's last season, consisted of seven teams, the Dallas Mavericks, the Denver Nuggets, the Houston Rockets, the Memphis Grizzlies, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the San Antonio Spurs and the Utah Jazz.
The San Antonio Spurs won the most Midwest Division titles with eleven.