Surgut is one of the oldest Siberian cities. It was founded in 1594 by order of Tsar Feodor I. The name of the city originates from the Khanty words "sur" (fish) and "gut" (hole, pit). The urbanization of Surgut took place in the 1960s, when it became a center of oil and gas production. On June 25, 1965 the working settlement of Surgut was reorganized into a city. The day of the city is celebrated yearly on June 12. The current mayor of Surgut is Alexander Leonidovich Sidorov. He oversaw the construction of the Surgut Bridge, the longest one-tower cable-stayed bridge in the world.

The economy of Surgut is tied to oil production and the processing of natural gas. The most important enterprises are the oil firm Surgutneftegaz which is often known as Surgut and Surgutgazprom - a unit of Gazprom. Surgut electric plants GRES-1 and GRES-2 produce over 7200 megawatts and supply most of the region with relatively cheap electricity.

Surgut was found in 1594 by the Cossack group, headed by the prince Fyodor Boryatinsky. In 1785 the Empress Yekaterina II approved the emblem of the town on which a silver fox symbolizes the riches of Surgut. The present emblem was adopted by decision of the town Duma on November 4, 2003. It describes black fox with silver tail which is walking on the light blue land in the golden field.