[4] The city was named in honour of Sītā, wife of Rāma, who was born in Sitamarhi according to Hindu legends.

[7] The district headquarters is located in Dumra, five kilometres (3 mi) south of Sitamarhi's main temple.

Sitamarhi dates back to the time of the Ramayana epic, which describes it as the place where King Janaka found the goddess Sita.

[12] Several cultural events occur annually in Sitamarhi: Dumra hosts festivities for Rama Navami each spring; a ceremony commemorating the marriage of Ram and Sita happens every year in Janaki Sthan;[13] and the winter festival of Sama Chakeva celebrates brother-sister relationships.

National Highway 227 runs towards Sheohar in the west and the border town Bhitthamore in the east.

Direct train services are available from Sitamarhi Junction to cities including New Delhi, Kolkata, Varanasi, Lucknow, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Kanpur, and Mumbai.

Many private buses (both AC and non-AC[definition needed]) operate between Sitamarhi and Patna.