Tatsuno has a Humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall.

The Tatsuno area was part of ancient Harima Province and was an important location for traffic on the Izumo Kaidō highway running along the Ibo River, and was the location of Kinoyama Castle, a stronghold of the Akamatsu clan in the Muromachi period.

Following Ikeda Toshitaka's death, his lands were divided by the Tokugawa shogunate and Honda Masatomo, was installed as daimyō of the newly created Tatsuno Domain.

Tatsuno has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 22 members.

In terms of national politics, the city is part of Hyōgo 12th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

[citation needed] However, much of the city is rural, with rice farming and commercial fishing playing roles in the economy.