Human activity and habitation have been present in Shijiazhuang since the Middle and Late Neolithic Period. Hengshan Commandery was established in the third year of Emperor Gaozu's reign in the Western Han Dynasty. During the Song Dynasty, it was part of Hebei West Road. During the Qing Dynasty, it was under the jurisdiction of Zhili, governing Zhending Prefecture and other areas. In 1925, Shimen City was established during the Republic of China. In 1947, Shimen City was liberated and renamed Shijiazhuang City that same year. In 1949, it came under the jurisdiction of the Hebei Provincial People's Government. In 1968, the capital of Hebei Province was relocated to Shijiazhuang City. In 1993, the Shijiazhuang Regional Administrative Office merged with the Municipal People's Government to form the new Shijiazhuang People's Government.
Shijiazhuang boasts an early development of human civilization and a rich cultural heritage. The culture of the Zhongshan Kingdom during the Warring States Period is a crucial part of its historical and cultural context. The city boasts nationally protected cultural relics such as the Pilu Temple, as well as representative national intangible cultural heritage projects such as Gengcun Folk Tales and Jingxing Lahua. Shijiazhuang is dominated by five major industries: new-generation electronic information and biomedicine. It also develops new tourism industries such as urban leisure and beautiful countryside. The Beijing-Guangzhou, Shijiazhuang-Taiyuan, and Shijiazhuang-Dezhou lines intersect in Shijiazhuang, making it one of China's 42 transportation hubs.