The city was founded in the 18th century. From 1774 to 1874, Kikinda was the seat of the District of Velika Kikinda, an autonomous administrative unit of the Habsburg monarchy. In 1893 Kikinda was granted the status of a city. The city became part of the Kingdom of Serbia (and Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes) in 1918, and lost its city status. The status was re-granted in 2016.

In 1996, the well-preserved archaeological remnants of a half a million-year-old mammoth were excavated on the outer edge of the town area. The "Kika" mammoth has become one of the town’s symbols. Today it is exhibited in the National Museum of Kikinda. Other city attractions are the Suvača – a unique horse-powered dry mill, the annual Pumpkin Days and the International Symposium of Sculpture "Terra". The winter roosts of long-eared owl, with a large number of individuals, are easily accessible as they are situated in town parks and therefore they attract birdwatchers both from this country and abroad.