The city dates back to the Árpád dynasty (9th–14th century), and by the 14th century it had become one of the privileged half-agrarian “field-towns” (oppida). It survived the Turkish occupation relatively unscathed as a khas, a possession of the sultan under his protection. Kecskemét's polygonal main square is surrounded by public buildings and by a great Roman Catholic church and a Franciscan monastery. The city's old Reform church was built between 1680 and 1684 by special permission of Sultan Mehmed IV (Mehmed IV). The synagogue (1862) has in its courtyard the remains of an older synagogue (1818), which now houses an exhibition and conference centre. There are many other churches, museums, and buildings of architectural and historical significance. The Hungarian dramatist József Katona (Katona, József) was born in Kecskemét, as was the composer Zoltán Kodály (Kodály, Zoltán), for whom the internationally renowned Zoltán Kodály Pedagogical Institute of Music is named.

Kecskemét's principal industries, in addition to fruit processing, are textiles and the manufacture of agricultural machinery and consumer goods. The city, 50 miles (80 km) southeast of Budapest, is on the rail and road arteries to Szeged. Pop. (2001) 107,749.