In pre-columbian times, the area of the current district was inhabited by coastal fishermen of the Yungas people, and was under the hegemony of the rulers of Pachacamac, and later the Incas.

Post-conquest, the area was known as Tropezon, until passage of the Law Nº 12096 created the modern district of Punta Negra on 7 April 1954.

Its name is attributed to an Italo-Peruvian citizen named Lidio Mongilardi, who upon visiting the area for the first time reportedly compared it to a coastal zone in Italy known as Punta Negra.

The district has several beaches, including Cangrejos, Punta Rocas, El Puerto, La Pocita, La Bikini, El Revés, Santa Rosa and Peñascal.

The municipal council is responsible for taxes and regulations, and includes a mayor and local councilors