The city was planned from scratch and the construction was assisted by the Soviet military due to Sukarno's relation to Eastern Bloc at the time.

The city stands on the site of a small Dayak village called Pahandut that was surrounded by rainforest.

[8][9] According to a local legend, Bayuh and Kambang, a married Dayak couple, founded the village because the surrounding region was not suitable for building a house, as its soil was made up of peat and swamps.

Pahandut on the other hand, according to local stories, was a respected elder and cultural figure from the village.

Handut passed away because of an illness, and to respect his death as an important figure from the village, it was named Pahandut.

The region was leased to the Dutch East Indies by Sultan Sulaiman in 1817, and was ceded by Sultan Adam of Banjar under a contract signed on 4 May 1826, written in Dutch on second point which reads in English as:[11][12] The Fifth article of the contract is hereby declared null and void and shall be replaced by the following, His Highness the Sultan Sleman, relinquishes in full ownership to his entire island of Tatas and the Kween, to the left bank of the Antasjan Kecil, Lewai, Jelai, Sintang, Takjanjauw, Pagatan, and the island of Pulau Laut, Kotta Ringin, Passir, Kute, Barouw and all their dependencies.

His Highness furthermore cedes one half of the lands, Pamboean, Mandawi, Sampit, the large and small Dajak, the Becompaij, and Doesoen.

178)[14][15] Dutch rule remained weak in this region and several revolts from native rulers took place, such as under Raden Djaija and Pambakal Sulil in 1849.

In the Tumbang Anoi Peacemaking Agreement between Dayak tribes in 1894 to end the practice of headhunting, it was noted that Pahandut village consisted of eight longhouses and was inhabited by around 40 families.

Milono, acting governor of Central Kalimantan, discussed the matter with several native organizations and cultural figures from the region.

This however evoked tension from several native tribes and organizations that each wanted their own region to be chosen as capital.

[19] The first pillar in the development of Palangka Raya City was erected by Sukarno, the President of the Republic of Indonesia, on 17 July 1957, marking the inauguration of the monument to the provincial capital of Central Kalimantan in Pahandut.

21 of 1958, Pahandut was renamed to Palangka Raya City, maintaining its status as the provincial seat.

[21] The construction of the city was directly led by Tjilik Riwut, whom by then had become governor of the Central Kalimantan province.

[19] It was officially made the capital of Central Kalimantan on 1 January 1960, relocated from its temporary seat in Banjarmasin.

[22] On 23 July 1965, it gained official city status (kotapraja) and formed its own municipal government.

This however, was never realized due to 30 September Movement, coup d'état against Sukarno, and subsequent communist purge that followed.

[24] Many local workers resigned and abandoned their work due to fear of being accused as communist and the road construction stopped at the town of Tangkiling.

[7] Surrounded by forests and peat land, the city can be heavily affected by haze in the dry season, notably in 2015 and 2019.

[36] Palangka Raya has a tropical rainforest climate (Af) with heavy rainfall year-round.

[40][38] The population of age 20 – 24 keeps increasing; this is thought to be caused by students from other regions in Central Kalimantan moving to the city to pursue higher education.

[40] In addition, the city has the highest human development index and standard of living in the entire Kalimantan, making it an attractive destination for migrants.

[1] The table also includes the number of administrative villages in each district (all classed as urban kelurahan), and its post codes.

[56][57] Palangka Raya is part of 1st Central Kalimantan electoral district at the provincial level.

[82] The city also has several laboratorium facilities for many purposes, such as disease control, water and food quality check, and animal health laboratory.

[83][84][85][86] Life expectancy of the city is 73.19 years, which is significantly higher than national average and the highest in the province.

[89][90][91][92] The city is served by Tjilik Riwut Airport, which is also home to an aviation school operated by Lion Air.

Improved road conditions between Palangka Raya and other regions such as Banjarmasin and Sampit resulted in a decline in the port's use, leading to disrepair.

[94][95] The city government has announced plans to revitalize the river port as a historic landmark and tourist destination.

However, arrival of online ride-hailing services and taxis together with creation of urban bus system resulted in angkot presence's decline.