Ningxiang County was established in the 1st year of the Zhenguan reign of the Tang Dynasty (627 AD), its name signifying "peace and tranquility of the local homeland".

In the Han Dynasty, the territory of present-day Ningxiang belonged to Yiyang County. During the Three Kingdoms Period, Xinyang County was set up here, renamed Xinkang County in the Jin Dynasty, and incorporated into Yiyang County under the Sui Dynasty. This land was part of the ancient Jingchu territory. Under the Qin Dynasty, it fell under the jurisdiction of Changsha Commandery. In the 1st year of the Zhenguan reign of the Tang Dynasty (627 AD), Ningxiang County was formally founded. In the 2nd year of the Taipingxingguo reign of the Song Dynasty (977 AD), the county was officially established under Tanzhou Changsha Commandery. In the Yuan Dynasty, it came under the administration of Tianlu Circuit, the Pacification Commission of Hunan Circuit, Branch Secretariat of Huguang. The Ming Dynasty placed it under Changsha Prefecture, Administration Commission of Huguang. In the Qing Dynasty, it belonged to Changsha Prefecture, Hunan Province.

To the east, Ningxiang borders Wangcheng District; to the west, it adjoins Anhua County and other counties. During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods, this area was subordinate to Qianzhong Commandery of the State of Chu; under the Qin Dynasty, it belonged to Changsha Commandery. In the Three Kingdoms Period, it was Xinyang County of Eastern Wu. Its name was changed to Xinkang in the 1st year of the Taikang reign of the Jin Dynasty (280 AD), and merged into Yiyang County in the 9th year of the Kaihuang reign of the Sui Dynasty (589 AD). In the 4th year of the Wude reign of the Tang Dynasty (621 AD), Xinkang County was re-established by separating territory from Yiyang. In the 2nd year of the Taipingxingguo reign of the Song Dynasty (977 AD), Ningxiang County was newly created by carving out portions of land from Yiyang, Changsha and Xiangxiang Counties. The county seat was first located in present-day Hengshi Town and later moved to today’s Yutan Town. Over more than a thousand years, administrative subdivisions around this region underwent numerous adjustments, yet the general boundary of Ningxiang itself remained largely unchanged. Starting from the Song Dynasty, Ningxiang belonged to Tanzhou, and was under Changsha Prefecture throughout the Ming and Qing dynasties.

During the Republic of China, Ningxiang was administered by the 5th Administrative Commissioner’s Office of Hunan Province.

After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Ningxiang was successively under the jurisdiction of Yiyang Prefecture and Xiangtan Prefecture. In 1983, it was placed under the administration of Changsha City, which remains its governing city to this day.