Okara became Tehsil Headquarters in 1918 when a network of canal irrigation was completed in the area. Okara district started functioning as a district with effect from July 1, 1982. Its area is about 4,377 sq. km. It is situated at a distance of about 120 km from Lahore on Lahore-Multan grand trunk road.
The name Okara was originally Okanwala from the name of the wild plant. The present main city was developed by the British Raj in six blocks and all the houses in blocks were designed in the same shape and sizes, this beautifully organized town planning has never been seen before. Okara had a significant Punjabi Hindu and Sikh population apart from the Muslims before the partition of India in August 1947. The Hindus and Sikhs of Okara had to leave their ancestral homes and move to India during the partition whilst Muslims from East Punjab migrated to this area.
