The municipality of Urumita is located on the Serranía del Perijá mountain range with part of its territory covering the valley of the Cesar River towards the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain range.

Prior to the arrival of the Spanish colonizers, the area of Urumita was inhabited by indigenous peoples pertaining to the Chimila.

At the time of the Spanish arrival in the early 16th Century, the area was governed by a cacique named Uruma.

After a period of conquest and colonization by the Spanish, on October 3, 1785 Juan Bautista Canalete founded the village of Urumita.

The village became part of the jurisdiction of the municipality of Villanueva within the Government of Santa Marta.