Velika Kladuša was first mentioned by name on October 30, 1280 (date on its shield) by the name Cladosa under the rule of King Ladislaus IV of Hungary.

Towards the end of the 13th century up to 1464, Velika Kladuša was controlled by the Croatian noble families of Babonić, Frankopan, Šubić and Tuz de Lak.

[citation needed] In late July 1941, Velika Kladuša and its surroundings became the site of a massacre of around 4,000 Serb civilians by the Croatian Ustaše, under the Ičungar Hill where anti-tank trenches were situated.

[7] In the era of Yugoslav socialism the town became the headquarters of Agrokomerc, one of the biggest food companies in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

Following the end of the Bosnian War, the town was the home of a Czech helicopter unit and Canadian Forces NATO camp supporting the IFOR and SFOR peacemaking missions from 1995 to 2004.

Una-Sana  Central Bosnia Posavina  Herzegovina-Neretva Tuzla  West Herzegovina Zenica-Doboj  Sarajevo Bosnian Podrinje Canton 10