[7] Almost all the entire area of the district belongs to the drainage basin of Lake Ladoga.

The central and northern parts of the district belong to the basin of the Pasha River, a tributary of the Svir.

The major tributary of the Pasha, the Kapsha River, also mainly flows within the district.

The area was populated by Balto-Finnic peoples, whose descendants, Vepsians, still live in the district.

Tikhvin quickly developed as an important trade center due to its location on one of the main waterways, connecting the basins of the Neva and the Volga.

In 1796, the viceroyalty was abolished, and the area, which belonged to Tikhvinsky Uyezd, was transferred to Novgorod Governorate.

On August 1, 1927, the uyezds were abolished and Tikhvinsky District, with the administrative center in Tikhvin, was established.

[12] The main agriculture specializations in the district are cattle breeding with meat and milk production, trout farming, and vegetables growing.

A considerable part of the Tikhvinskaya water system, one of the waterways constructed in the early 19th century to connect the basins of the Volga and Neva Rivers, lies in Tikhvinsky District.

Lake Yelgino is connected by the Tikhvin Canal, 6 kilometers (3.7 mi) with the upper course of the Volchina River.

[13] The district contains thirty-three cultural heritage monuments of federal significance (thirty of them in Tikhvin) and additionally ninety-six objects classified as cultural and historical heritage of local significance (forty-eight of them in Tikhvin).

The monastery is a major pilgrim destination, since it hosts the Theotokos of Tikhvin, one of the most celebrated Russian Orthodox icons.