On May 28, 1938, the district became a part of the newly formed Murmansk Oblast,[14] and on February 9, 1940, Kandalaksha was administratively separated from the district and granted a status of town of oblast significance.[14]
Kandalakshsky District was abolished by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union on August 18, 1948 with its territory being administratively subordinated to the town of Kandalaksha.[14] However, the district was reinstated in old borders by another decree on March 13, 1951.[14] Kandalaksha again became the administrative center of the district.[14]
By the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR of March 19, 1959, the Councils of Deputies of Kandalaksha and of Kandalakshsky District were merged into one Kandalaksha Town Council of Deputies.[14] The district was nominally retained as a separate administrative division, but all its subdivisions were administratively subordinated to the town's Council of Deputies.[14] On February 1, 1963, the Decree by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR established the new structure of the districts of Murmansk Oblast, which no longer included Kandalakshsky District.[14]
On December 2, 2004, Kandalakshsky Municipal District was established by Murmansk Oblast Duma on the territory of Kandalaksha Town With Jurisdictional Territory.[9] The administrative district, however, was not restored until the law of April 11, 2011 amended the law on the administrative-territorial divisions of Murmansk Oblast to include it.[2]
Kandalaksha District sits in the southwest corner of Murmansk Olblast, covering 9.9% of the Murmansk region. A small part of the district is on the Kola Peninsula and the remainder on the mainland. It borders Finland to the west and the Republic of Karelia to the south. Kandalaksha Gulf is on the eastern border of the district. Most of the district is forested (60%) with pine and northern-taiga spruce-pine trees. Much of the remainder is lakes and rivers.[15] The southern islands and territories of the Kandalaksha Nature Reserve are in the district.
^The count of urban-type settlements may include the work settlements, the resort settlements, the suburban (dacha) settlements, as well as urban-type settlements proper.
Мурманская областная Дума. Закон №96-01-ЗМО от 6 января 1998 г. «Об административно-территориальном устройстве Мурманской области», в ред. Закона №1953-01-ЗМО от 24 декабря 2015 г. «О внесении изменений в Закон Мурманской области "Об административно-территориальном устройстве Мурманской области"». Опубликован: "Мурманский Вестник", №10, стр. 3, 16 января 1998 г. (Murmansk Oblast Duma. Law #96-01-ZMO of January 6, 1998 On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of Murmansk Oblast, as amended by the Law #1953-01-ZMO of December 24, 2015 On Amending the Law of Murmansk Oblast "On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of Murmansk Oblast". ).
Мурманская областная Дума. Закон №538-01-ЗМО от 2 декабря 2004 г. «О статусе, наименованиях и составе территорий муниципального образования Кандалакшский район и муниципальных образований, входящих в его состав», в ред. Закона №904-01-ЗМО от 26 октября 2007 г «О внесении изменений в Закон Мурманской области "О статусе, наименованиях и составе территорий муниципального образования город Кандалакша с подведомственной территорией и муниципальных образований, входящих в его состав"». Вступил в силу 1 января 2005 г. Опубликован: "Мурманский Вестник", №234, стр. 3, 7 декабря 2004 г. (Murmansk Oblast Duma. Law #538-01-ZMO of December 2, 2004 On the Status, Names, and Composition of the Territories of the Municipal Formation of Kandalakshsky District and of the Municipal Formations It Comprises, as amended by the Law #904-01-ZMO of October 26, 2007 On Amending the Law of Murmansk Oblast "On the Status, Names, and Composition of the Territories of the Municipal Formation of the Town of Kandalaksha with Jurisdictional Territory and of the Municipal Formations It Comprises". Effective as of January 1, 2005.).
Мурманская областная Дума. Закон №1335-01-ЗМО от 11 апреля 2011 г. «О внесении изменений в Закон Мурманской области "Об административно-территориальном устройстве Мурманской области"». Вступил в силу по истечении десяти дней со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Мурманский Вестник", №64, с. 4, 14 апреля 2011 г. (Murmansk Oblast Duma. Law #1335-01-ZMO of April 11, 2011 On Amending the Law of Murmansk Oblast "On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of Murmansk Oblast". Effective as of after ten days since the official publication have passed.).
Архивный отдел Администрации Мурманской области. Государственный Архив Мурманской области. (1995). Административно-территориальное деление Мурманской области (1920-1993 гг.). Справочник. Мурманск: Мурманское издательско-полиграфическое предприятие "Север".