Nakhodka is a seaport city with a population of about 150,000 people; it is the second largest city of Primorsky region. The city's economy is mostly based on the port and port-related activity such as fish processing and canning, because Nakhodka is still one of the largest fishing and trading ports of Far Eastern Russia. In addition, the Nakhodka territory has a Free Port status, which offers special customs, tax, investment, and administration regimes.

Nakhodka Bay was discovered by the Russian corvette "Amerika" in 1859. Once on a stormy day of 1859, a steam corvette "America" that was rounding a cape entered the waters of an unknown bay, which had become a shelter for the crew and named as Nakhodka (often translated as "a catch" or "a lucky find") afterwards. Subsequently, a military hydrographic station was established on the shore of the bay with one sergeant and four soldiers.

The beginning of the official settlement of Primorye can be dated back to the latter half of the 19^th century. The railway construction and sea route discovery promoted inhabitation towards the Far East.

In the early 20^th century several families from Chernigovskaya Province arrived in this territory and set up a village – Amerikanka village. The residents of the village were primarily involved in personal farm holding. The Amerikanka village became a permanent settlement, eventually giving rise to the modern city of Nakhodka.

In the latter half of the 20^th century, Nakhodka experienced rapid construction.

In 1950, the working settlement Nakhodka with a population of 28,000 people was assigned a new status – the city of regional subordination. This happened when Soviet authorities decided to close Vladivostok, which had become forbidden for foreign shipping (because it was decided that the Soviet Pacific Fleet should be based there).

After that, Nakhodka was growing quickly. The period of city's growth was apparently in the 1970s and 1980s, when it was the only Far Eastern port opened to foreigners. It served as the Eastern terminus for the passenger portion of the Trans-Siberian railway. During the first decade upon obtaining the status of a city, Nakhodka developed its primary economic potential and mapped out its future enterprises. Gradually, Nakhodka became one of international business center of the Far East.

Once it developed into a large international port, Nakhodka became the first city in the USSR that entered into an agreement on twinning with international cities – the Japanese city of Maizuru bind Nakhodka with friendly relations. In 1962, the first international passenger route Nakhodka - Yokohama was launched.

At present, Nakhodka is one of the largest cities of the Russian Far East. It is a modern industrial and cultural center with a well-developed port and transport infrastructure. Primary branches of the Nakhodka's industrial complex are fishing, food production, metal works manufacturing and ship repairs.

Nakhodka is one of the largest transportation hubs in the Russian Far East. The Ports of Nakhodka help maintain relations with more than 40 countries around the world, handle over 50% of cargo of the Far East basin ports and about 13% of the Russian total cargo turnover. Cargo transshipment and storage in the ports are a key industry of the Nakhodka City District.

The Nakhodka City District comprises the territory of Nakhodka city, the settlements of Vrangel, Livadia, Yuzhno-Morskoy and Beregovoy, as well as Anna and Dushkino villages.

The main sights of Nakhodka include the Central Square; Nakhodka prospect; Friendship Memorial of Otaru, Maizuru and Tsuruga (Garden of Stones); Cathedral of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God; Monument of Hope; Lenin Monument; Seaport; Railway station and Nakhodka Museum and Art Gallery. Besides that, there are wonderful and picturesque seascapes and landscapes around Nakhodka city including a small uninhabited Lisy Island (which means "the Island of Foxes") and Sister Peak.