Minato Ward is the southern portion of the city of Nagoya, in the coastal flatlands and river estuaries along the shore of Ise Bay.

All of what is now Minato Ward was part of the holdings of Owari Domain during the Edo period.

In 1922, Ousu village in Aichi District was annexed by the city of Nagoya becoming part of Minami Ward.

In 1955, the town of Nanyo from Ama District was annexed by Minato Ward.

The economy of Minato Ward is dominated by Nagoya Port, one of the busiest in Japan.