Cherkasy is famous since 13th century and played a great role in history of Ukraine. Cherkasy was the center of Cossacks, citizens took part in Khmelnychchyna and Koliyivschyna (cossacks and peasants rebellions). The city is located on the right bank of Dnieper River (specifically at the Kremenchuk Reservoir), about 200 km (124 mi) south of the nation's capital, Kiev. The city is divided into 2 boroughs (raions) - Sosnivskiy (with Orshanets village) and Pridniprovskiy. The current population of Cherkasy is 285,526 (as of 2010).

Modern Cherkasy developed rapidly in 1960s, when a chemical industry supplemented the older machine, food-processing, light and metal-processing industries. There are about 50 enterprises in Cherkasy city, among them quite a lot of chemical ones, which produce various reagents and chemical products for construction.

Cherkasy is the cultural center of Cherkasy oblast. There is a Teachers' Training College and a branch of Kiev Technical University in Cherkasy city.