The whole area of the district belongs to the drainage basin of the Volga River. The Volga, built as the Uglich Reservoir, makes the southeastern border of the district. The largest tributaries of the Volga within the district are the Medveditsa River, which crosses the southern part of the district and also makes the stretch of the border with Kimrsky District, and the Kashinka River.
It is unclear when Kashin was founded, with plausible dates in the 12th and the 13th centuries, and it is reliably mentioned in 1287, when it belonged to Principality of Tver.[9] Since 1319, Kashin was the center of Principality of Kashin, which was first dependent on the Principality of Tver. In fact, Vasily, the first Prince of Kashin, was the son of Mikhail of Tver, and his mother and the wife of Michael, Anna of Kashin, lived in Kashin for the last years of her life. She was later canonized and is considered to be a saint protector of the town. Later, Kashin Principality was slowly drifting towards the Grand Duchy of Moscow. In 1375, it was accepted as an independent principality subordinate to Moscow, then between 1382 and 1399 it was a part of Principality of Tver, and in 1485 it was formally annexed by Moscow and abolished. In 1609 and 1612, during the Time of Troubles, Kashin was badly damaged by the Polish troops.[10]
On July 12, 1929 the governorates and uyezds were abolished. Kashinsky District, with the administrative center in Kashin, was established within Bezhetsk Okrug of Moscow Oblast. On July 23, 1930, the okrugs were abolished, and the districts were directly subordinated to the oblast. On January 29, 1935 Kalinin Oblast was established, and Kashinsky District was transferred to Kalinin Oblast. On February 13, 1963, during the abortive Khrushchyov administrative reform, Kesovogorsky District was merged into Kashinsky District, but on November 3, 1965 it was re-established.[11] In 1990, Kalinin Oblast was renamed Tver Oblast.
Buses connect the district with Tver and Moscow, as well as provide local transportation. There also roads from Kashin to Kalyazin and Kesova Gora. A railway connects Kashin with Sonkovo and Moscow; there is infrequent passenger traffic.
The district contains fifty-two cultural heritage monuments of federal significance (thirty-six of them located in Kashin) and additionally eighty-seven objects classified as cultural and historical heritage of local significance (fifty-six of them in Kashin). The federal monuments are the historical buildings in the center of Kashin, including the ensemble of the Presentation Monastery, a number of churches built in the 18th and the 19th centuries, the Shepeli Estate in the selo of Shepeli, as well as a number of archeological sites.[12]
There is a local museum in Kashin, open in 1918.[13]Mikhail Kalinin, a Soviet politician, was born in the selo of Verkhnyaya Troitsa. A memorial museum is open in the house which used to belong to his parents.[14]
Законодательное Собрание Тверской области. Закон №4-ЗО от 18 января 2005 г. «Об установлении границ муниципальных образований Тверской области и наделении их статусом городских округов, муниципальных районов», в ред. Закона №65-ЗО от 24 июля 2012 г. «О внесении изменения в статью 2 Закона Тверской области "Об установлении границ муниципальных образований Тверской области и наделении их статусом городских округов, муниципальных районов"». Вступил в силу через десять дней после официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Тверские ведомости", №3, 21–27 января 2005 г. (Legislative Assembly of Tver Oblast. Law #4-ZO of January 18, 2005 On Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formations of Tver Oblast and on Granting Them the Status of Urban Okrugs, Municipal Districts, as amended by the Law #65-ZO of July 24, 2012 On Amending Article 2 of the Law of Tver Oblast "On Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formations of Tver Oblast and on Granting Them the Status of Urban Okrugs, Municipal Districts". Effective as of the day which is ten days after the official publication.).
Законодательное Собрание Тверской области. Закон №28-ЗО от 28 февраля 2005 г. «Об установлении границ муниципальных образований, входящих в состав территории муниципального образования Тверской области "Кашинский район", и наделении их статусом городского, сельского поселения», в ред. Закона №19-ЗО от 13 апреля 2009 г. «О внесении изменений в Приложение №1 к Закону Тверской области "Об установлении границ муниципальных образований, входящих в состав территории муниципального образования Тверской области "Кашинский район", и наделении их статусом городского, сельского поселения"». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Тверские ведомости", №10, 11–17 марта 2005 г. (Legislative Assembly of Tver Oblast. Law #28-ZO of February 28, 2005 On Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formations Comprised by the Territory of the Municipal Formation of "Kashinsky District" and on Granting Them the Status of Urban, Rural Settlements, as amended by the Law #19-ZO of April 13, 2009 On Amending Appendix 1 of the Law of Tver Oblast "On Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formations Comprised by the Territory of the Municipal Formation of "Kashinsky District" and on Granting Them the Status of Urban, Rural Settlements". Effective as of the day of the official publication.).