With the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889, the village of Omaezaki was created within Haibara District of Shizuoka Prefecture.

Omaezaki has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 16 members.

Omaezaki has a long history of commercial fishing and of green tea cultivation and these continue to play a central role in the local economy.

Water sports account for a large number of visitors daily to the city, and during the summer months, tourism attracted by Omaezaki's beaches is an important part of the economy, and water sports made possible by strong coastal winds have become as much a part of Omaezaki's identity as that of a rural town.

In recent years the Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant, the visitor centre of which also hosts an Omnimax Cinema, has become a well-known local landmark.

The city also has a beach as part of Omaezaki Marine Park (御前崎マリーンパーク) which is a popular destination during the region's hot and humid summer months.