The main railway line M604 also connects to Zagreb and Split, with daily passenger and freight service.

In the woods of Begovača near Kosinje there is a Roman monolith engraved with the verdict of a water dispute between Illyrian tribes.

Until 1918, Perušić was part of the Austrian monarchy (Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia after the Compromise of 1867),[4] in the Croatian Military Frontier, administered by the Kommando Ottotschaner Regiment No.2.

During World War II, the town was occupied by Axis troops and was included into the Pavelić's Independent State of Croatia (NDH).

The Velebit mountain range restricts the thermal influence of the Adriatic Sea, but allows moist air to reach the interior resulting in high precipitation (particularly in winter and autumn).

The nearby highway brought rapid economic development, though Perušić remains one of the poorest inhabited municipalities in Croatia.

Grabovača is a cave park situated between the Lika karstic plains and fields, 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from the center of Perušić.

It is 770 metres (2,530 ft) above sea level at the mid-elevations of the Velebit mountains, near the karst basin of the river Lika.

In an area of 1.5 km2 (0.58 sq mi) there are an abundance of underground karst forms, complex calcite formations.

It was designed in the 19th century by architect Milivoj Frković, built using an early Croatian bridge-building technique known as uklinjenje kamena (clipping stone).

Old town, known as "Gradina" or "Turkish tower" (Croatian: Turska kula) on the locality Vrhovina was first mentioned in 1071.

During Ottoman occupation (until 1696) Perušić became Turkish stronghold due to its position and proximity to the Venetian Republic and Habsburg monarchy.

After the liberation of Lika and Krbava by the Catholic priest Marko Mesić, remaining Turkish population were baptised.