Human settlement dates back to the Bronze Age, when Celtic peoples inhabited the region.

The Romans established a military camp which grew to become the city of Cambodunum, the present Kempten.

In medieval times Kempten was a free imperial city, and the surrounding lands became subordinate to the lords of Staufen and the counts of Rothenfels.

The term Allgäu is applied to the part of the Alps located in Swabia and their northern foothills.

The Iller River (a tributary of the Danube) runs through the district from south to north.