Votes cast in the district also count towards the calculation of proportional representation ("plurinominal") deputies elected from the fourth region.

[3][4] Guerrero lost a congressional seat in the National Electoral Institute's 2022 redistricting process, but the 3rd district was unaffected by the resulting boundary changes.

It comprises eight municipalities:[6] The district's head town (cabecera distrital), where results from individual polling stations are gathered together and tallied, is the port city of Zihuatanejo.

[9][10] The districting scheme in force from 1978 to 1996 was the result of the 1977 electoral reforms, which increased the number of single-member seats in the Chamber of Deputies from 196 to 300.

[11] The 3rd district was located inland: it had its head town at Coyuca de Catalán and it covered the municipalities of Ajuchitlán del Progreso, Apaxtla, Coahuayutla, Coyuca de Catalán, General Heliodoro Castillo, Leonardo Bravo, Pungarabato, San Miguel Totolapan, Zirándaro and Zumpango del Río.