In August 2004, it was elevated to metropolitan district assembly status.

Later, on 24 June 2012, a small northern part of the district was split off to create Sagnarigu District (which was elevated to municipal district assembly status on 15 March 2018 and became Sagnarigu Municipal District); the remaining part has been retained as Tamale Metropolitan District.

The district is located in the northwest part of Northern Region and has Tamale as its capital city (which is also the capital city of the Northern Region).

The city is the central business hub of the region.

Tamale Metropolitan District had a population of about 233,252 as of 2010.