Its northern districts are located in the Iłża Foothills, while the southern part belongs to the Opatów Upland.

There are two interesting places near Ostrowiec: the archaeological reserve at Krzemionki (a UNESCO World Heritage Site[2] and Historic Monument of Poland)[3] and dinosaur park in Bałtów.

The oldest testimonies of human habitation date back to the Stone Age (ca 4000 BC).

In 1564 town charter was granted to the settlement of Denków (also called Wielki Michów), which is now one of the Ostrowiec districts.

Following the idea of Stanisław Staszic, who promoted industrialization of the Kamienna river valley, based on local deposits of coal and iron ore, numerous plants were opened in the area.

On 27 December 1905 the so-called Ostrowiec Republic was established, and for two weeks, the town and the county were ruled by the Polish Socialist Party, headed by Ignacy Boerner.

In the Second Polish Republic Ostrowiec developed, due to its location in Central Industrial Area.

During the German invasion of Poland, which started World War II, the Wehrmacht captured the town on 8 September 1939.

Afterwards it was occupied by Germany and included within the Radom District of the General Government, formed of German-occupied central Poland.

On 30 September 1942, 29 Poles, including merchants, teachers and local officials, were hanged at the Market Square.

[8] A very significant action carried out by the local Polish underground was the kidnapping of the German city commissioner Bruno Motschall.

In 1943, Motschall was kidnapped in broad daylight in the town center by a Home Army unit in his own car.

Because of a car defect, the kidnappers were caught up in Chmielów, where a shootout ensued, which resulted in three Poles being killed.