Jizhou, also historically known as Wuzhong and Yuyang, originated from the Wuzhongzi State during the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC) and was in the jurisdiction of Wuzhong in the subsequent Warring States Period (475-221 BC). The central government of the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) established Wuzhong County in Jizhou and placed it under the jurisdiction of North Beiping Prefecture. Jizhou was named Yuyang County during the early period of the Sui Dynasty (581-618). The government of Emperor Xuanzong (713-756) in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) founded Jizhou Prefecture in Jizhou and placed Yuyang County under the jurisdiction of Jizhou Prefecture. During the early period of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), Yuyang County was abolished and its former ruling area was named Jizhou Prefecture.
Jizhou Prefecture was named Jixian County in 1913. After the establishment of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1949, Jixian County belonged to Hebei Province before it was transferred to Tianjin City in September 1973. The municipal Party committee and the government of Tianjin announced the formation of Jizhou District on the basis of the former Jixian County on July 28, 2016. Jizhou convened its first district-level congress of the Party, district people's congress and the district committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) in December 2016.
Jizhou is located in the northernmost part of Tianjin and is situated in the hinterland of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei's Tangshan and Chengde. With an area of 1,590 square kilometers and a population of 865,700, it consists of 26 townships and one neighborhood office. A historical and cultural site in Tianjin, Jizhou was a human settlement about 8,000 years ago. Jizhou had a strategic importance during the wars in ancient China, and is home to many prominent historical figures, pagodas, temples, stone inscriptions and tombs. The cultural depth in the history of Jizhou has exerted great influence upon the development of the district's modern economy.
Jizhou boasts beautiful natural scenery and many tourist attractions such as Mount Panshan, Huangya Pass of the Great Wall, Cuiping Lake, Mount Baxian and Mount Jiulong. Huangya Pass of the Great Wall was inscribed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage in 1987. Mount Panshan was recognized as a national scenic area in 2021. The Geological Natural Protection Area of the Middle and Upper Proterozoic in Tianjin (Jixian) National Geopark was approved by the State Council as a national geopark in October 1984. In addition, there are many cultural relics in Jizhou such as Dule Temple and Baita Temple. Together with tourism resources in neighboring areas, these attractions have fostered strong development of the tourism industry.