The roots of the Virovitica-Podravina County date back to the 13^th century when Arpadović family founded the royal counties as administrative areas, and in their time, for the first time, we meet with Virovitica and Virovitica County.

In year 1234., duke Koloman, son of king Andrije II. and brother of King Bela IV. he distributed to Virovitica newcomers of great benefits and since then kings have often stayed there. Only eight years later, in 1242., King Bela IV. in Virovitica awarded Zagreb Gradec with Gold Bull and with that made Zagreb a free royal town. Almost three decades later, in 1269., the county prefect of Virovitica was mentioned for the first time, and on that occasion st. Ambrozija issued request for duke Bela for them to receive the same benefits the same liberty that Virovitica newcomers had.

With the county of Virovitica (comitatus de Wereuche) was mentioned in one of the lists of Queen Elizabeth in 1275. Until the 15^th century, the county was the property of the Hungarian queens. Virovitica was one of the last cities won by the Ottoman Empire. It fell in Turkish hands in 1547.

The occupation lasted until 1684. when Croats under ban Nikola Erdödy and general of Varaždin Jakob count Leslie released this part of Slavonia from the Turkish presence. Until 1745., status of Virovitica and other liberated areas were unclear. Only then, empress Marija Terezija, gives instructions on the unification of these territories with Croatia, and that same year baron Marko Pejačević became the county prefect of Virovitica County. He was replaced by Ljudevit Patačić, that the same year, and became a “great prefect” of Virovitica. A year later, in 1746., the empress Marija Teresa assigned the County with the coat of arms. Josip II. in 1785, the abolished the existence of counties. Virovitica County enters under the pécs district. However, on 30^th June 1848. the assembly of Virovitica County was held in Osijek.

After the war with the Hungarians and the joining of Međimurje to Croatia, on 4^th April, the Austrian emperor Franjo Josip I. proclaimed a new octroyed constitution that divided Croatia in six counties (Rijeka, Zagreb, Varaždin, Križevci, Osjek and Požega – area of Virovitica County was under the new arrangement part of Požega County).

However, on  17^th January 1861. king and emperor Franjo Josip I was appointed. New counties and major prefects were also appointed, and Josip Juraj Strossmayer, a bishop of Đakovo, was appointed for a prefect of Virovitica. Thus, in the Kingdom of Croatia and Slavonia we again found counties: Rijeka, Zagreb, Varaždin, Križevci, Požega, Virovitica and Srijem. Following are the other great prefects: Teodor count Pejačević. In 1875., Virovitica County, after its reorganization, also covered the areas of the former cities Osijek and Đakovo. This state lasted until 1918.

In 1992., the Croatian Parliament passed the Law on the sreas of Counties, Towns and Municipalities in the Republic of Croatia, thereby bringing the traditional historical divisions of the county back into the legal and political division of the state. With this Law Virovitica-Podravina County was established, with headquarters in in Virovitica. The county covers area of 13 municipalities (Crnac, Čađavica, Čačinci, Gradina, Lukač, Mikleuš, Nova Bukovica, Pitomača, Sopje, Suhopolje, Špišić Bukovica, Voćin, Zdenci) and three cities (Orahovica, Slatina, Virovitica). Constitutive Assembly of Virovitica – Podravina County was held on 13^th April 1993. The area of ​​today’s Virovitica-Podravina County was extremely significant at the time of the “Domovinski rat”, as it was one of the first liberated counties in Croatia. Today, Virovitica-Podravina County counts 84.836 inhabitants (the 2011. census) and represents the strongest economic and administrative centre between Koprivnica and Osijek, between central and eastern Croatia.