The whole area of the district belongs to the drainage basin of the Daugava, known in Russia as the Western Dvina. The main tributary of the Western Dvina in the district is the Mezha, which crosses the district from east to west. In particular, the urban-type settlement of Zharkovsky is located on the banks of the Mezha. The main tributaries of the Mezha in the district are the Obsha, the Shesnitsa, and the Yelsha. Lake Shchuchye, the biggest lake in the district, belongs to the drainage basin of the Yelsha as well. The northern part of the district belongs to the drainage basin of the Velesa, another left tributary of the Western Dvina, and its tributary, the Turosna. 69% of the district area is forested.[2]
In the Middle Ages, the area was located on the border between Lithuanian and Russian lands, and intermittently changed affiliation between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (later Poland) and a number of Russian principalities, including the Grand Duchy of Moscow, until in the 17th century it finally went to Moscow.[11]
On 12 July 1929, governorates and uyezds were abolished, and the area was included into Western Oblast and split between Belsky, Oktyabrsky, Ilyinsky, and Prechistensky Districts. Belsky District belonged to Rzhev Okrug, Ilyinsky and Oktyabrsky Districts belonged to Velikiye Luki Okrug,[12][13] whereas and Prechistensky District belonged to Smolensk Okrug. On August 1, 1930 the okrugs were abolished, and the districts were subordinated directly to the oblast. In 1934, Prechistensky District was abolished, and part of its area was transferred to Ilyinsky District. On 29 January 1935 Kalinin Oblast was established, and Oktyabrsky District was transferred to Kalinin Oblast.[12][14] On September 27, 1937 Western Oblast was abolished and split between Smolensk and Oryol Oblasts. Belsky and Ilyinsky Districts were transferred to Smolensk Oblast. During World War II, in 1941—1943, the current area of the district was occupied by German troops. On August 22, 1944, Belsky, Ilyinsky, and Oktyabrsky Districts were transferred to newly established Velikiye Luki Oblast. On 10 March 1945, Zharkovsky District with the center in the railway station of Zharki was established from the areas which previously belonged to Belsky, Ilyinsky, and Oktyabrsky Districts. In 1950, a number of villages were merged into the urban-type settlement of Zharkovsky, which became the administrative center of the district.[15] On October 2, 1957, Velikiye Luki Oblast was abolished, and Zharkovsky District was transferred to Kalinin Oblast. On January 12, 1960 the district was abolished and split between Belsky, Nelidovsky, and Oktyabrsky Districts; on December 27, 1973 it was re-established.[14] In 1990, Kalinin Oblast was renamed Tver Oblast.[13]
A railroad connects Zharkovsky railway station with the station of Zemtsy on the railway between Moscow and Riga. There is infrequent passenger traffic, two times per week as of 2015. The branch is not electrified.
The district contains sixteen objects (one of them in Zharkovsky) classified as cultural and historical heritage of local significance. All of them are monuments to the soldiers fallen in the World War II.[18]
In 2012, in the village of Shchuchye, the Northern Pike Museum was open. The village is located on the bank of Lake Shchuchye, and the name of both the village and the lake refers to the northern pike.[19]
^Law #34-ZO stipulates that the borders of the administrative divisions of the district match those of the municipal formations the corresponding municipal district is subdivided into. Law #23-ZO contains the list of the municipal formations of Zharkovsky Municipal District. The counts of inhabited localities are per OKATO.
^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.
^ ab"Историческая справка" (in Russian). Zharkovsky District Administration. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
^ abВоробьёв, М. В. (1993). Г. В. Туфанова (ed.). Административно-территориальное деление Смоленской области (in Russian). Государственный архив Смоленской области. pp. 118–133.
Законодательное Собрание Тверской области. Закон №34-ЗО от 17 апреля 2006 г. «Об административно-территориальном устройстве Тверской области», в ред. Закона №66-ЗО от 1 октября 2014 г. «О внесении изменения в статью 18 Закона Тверской области "Об административно-территориальном устройстве Тверской области"». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Тверские ведомости", №17 (специальный выпуск), 19 апреля 2006 г. (Legislative Assembly of Tver Oblast. Law #34-ZO of April 17, 2006 On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of Tver Oblast, as amended by the Law #66-ZO of October 1, 2014 On Amending Article 18 of the Law of Tver Oblast "On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of Tver Oblast". Effective as of the official publication date.).
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 №23-ЗО от 28 февраля 2005 г. «Об установлении границ муниципальных образований, входящих в состав территории муниципального образования Тверской области "Жарковский район", и наделении их статусом городского, сельского поселения», в ред. Закона №33-ЗО от 30 мая 2013 г. «О представительных органах и главах вновь образованных муниципальных образований Тверской области и о внесении изменений в отдельные Законы Тверской области». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Тверские ведомости", №10, 11–17 марта 2005 г. (Legislative Assembly of Tver Oblast. Law #23-ZO of February 28, 2005 On Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formations Comprised by the Territory of the Municipal Formation of "Zharkovsky District" and on Granting Them the Status of Urban, Rural Settlements, as amended by the Law #33-ZO of May 30, 2013 On the Representative Bodies and Heads of Newly Established Municipal Formations of Tver Oblast an on Amending Various Laws of Tver Oblast. Effective as of the day of the official publication.).