[2] Per Japanese census data,[6] the population of Nagahama has remained relatively stable over the past 70 years.

The settlement was originally called Imahama (今濱), but Hideyoshi renamed it "Nagahama", taking one kanji from the name of his overlord, Oda Nobunaga.

After the Meiji restoration, the town of Nagahama was established within Sakata District, Shiga with the creation of the modern municipalities system.

Nagahama has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 26 members.

In terms of national politics, the city is part of Shiga 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

International schools: JR West – Hokuriku Main Line JR West – Kosei Line In addition to the usual Shiga Prefecture cuisine, most famously funa-zushi, Nagahama has a local specialty of salty-sweet cooked sōmen with mackerel (焼鯖素麺, yaki-saba sōmen), related to its historical position on the "mackerel highway" connecting the fishing ports on the Sea of Japan with Kyoto.