Ivano-Frankivsk is one of administrative centers in western Ukraine with almost 350 years of history as a city settlement. Ivano-Frankovsk was founded in 1662 as the town of Stanislawow. After the first partition of Poland (1772) Ivano-Frankovsk town was held by Austria till 1919. Ivano-Frankovsk city occupied an important position on the northern approach to the Yablonitsa Pass over the Carpathians. From 1919 till 1939 Ivano-Frankovsk city was a part of Poland. For the most part of its history the city was known for its Polish name of Stanisławów (Stanislaviv) until 1962 (300 years). In the Soviet times it was decided to change the name of the city during its 300th Anniversary. The current name of the city is longer than some of sentences therefore local population sometimes refers to it as Frankivsk or even Franyk.

The city is the third in population amongst other cities in the Carpathian Euroregion, yielding only to Lviv and Kosice.