Akto was part of Yarkent Khanate in 1514. In 1678, the Dzungar began to rule the place of the present Akto. After the Qing dynasty calmed the Revolt of the Altishahr Khojas in 1759, the land was ruled by Kashgar and Yarkand officials (). Appointed officials of circuits, prefectures and counties in the southern Xinjiang in 1883, Akto was under the jurisdiction of Yengisar Independent Prefecture (), Shule Independent Prefecture () and Puli Independent Sub-prefecture of Shache (). Akto County was established in August 1954 from parts of Yingjisha, Shufu, Puli (present Tashkurgan) and Wuqia counties. The present Yumai Township () was from the 6th district in Yingjisha, Piral Township () and Barin Township () from the 7th district in Yingjisha, Kizilto Township () from the 8th district in Yingjisha, Qiarlon Township () from 4th district of Qiarlon () in Puli County, Blunko Township () from 5th district of Blunko () in Puli and two townships of Bostanterak District () in Wuqia County, Auytak Town () from Auytak Township () in Shufu County, Karekayqik Township () from Qlukbash Township in Shufu. The 2007 Xinjiang raid occurred in the county. Akto County is located in the central hinterland of Asia, the westernmost part of China, the southwest of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the eastern Pamir Plateau, and the western edge of the Tarim Basin. It is located between east longitude 73°26'5" - 76°43'31" and north latitude 37°41'28" - 39°29'55". Its maximum length from north to south is 283.2 kilometers long from the middle section of Maltabar Mountain () in the northwest to The Kokluk Farm () in Kuslap Township () in the southeast; The maximum length from west to east is 216 kilometers long from Subash Village () in Bulunkou Township () in the southwest to the Jamaterak Township () in the northeast. The county terrain is high in the northwest and low in the southeast and runs northwest to southeast, with a total area of 24,555 square kilometers. Akto County is located in the three major geographic regions of the Pamirs, the northern slopes of the Kunlun Mountains and the oasis on the western edge of the Tarim Basin.