[2] The town is located on the Ternopil—Chernivtsi automobile road in the historic region of Podolia, on the banks of the Tupa River, a tributary of the Seret.

[5] Historians date the remains of human settlement in the area back to the 9th century,[6] revealing evidence of the Chernyakhov culture and ancient Kievan Rus' civilizations, as well as the Roman Empire.

[6][8] In the 15th century, the settlement came under control of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and was renamed to the Polish variant Tłuste (Ukrainian: Тлусте).

[3] The settlement was renamed two years later from its Polish name to its current Ukrainian equivalent Tovste.

[8] The town also housed a Jewish synagogue, which was destroyed during World War II, the remains of which are no longer to be found.