During the Edo period, the area of present-day Ueno was part of the tenryō territory administered directly by the Tokugawa shogunate in Kōzuke Province.

Ueno village was established within Minamikanra District, Gunma Prefecture on April 1, 1889, with the creation of the modern municipalities system after the Meiji Restoration.

Despite its depopulation, revenue from Ueno Dam and the Tokyo Electric Kannagawa Power Station give the local government the highest financial strength index in the prefecture.

Ueno has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of eight members.

In terms of national politics, the town is part of Gunma 4th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.