The name
Orahovica is derived from the word
orah 'walnut tree'. Orahovica was first officially mentioned in 1228 in a historical document issued by King
Andrew II. Ružica Castle, not far from Orahovica, was first mentioned in 1357 as a royal estate. In the 15th century and the first half of the 16th century, the town was a thriving community owned by various patricians (
Nikola Kont,
Lovro Iločki,
Ladislav Iločki,
Ladislav More, etc.)
Suleiman I, in his 1542 campaign, conquered Orahovica. It was renamed
Rahoviçe and was initially a
kaza centre in the
Sanjak of Pojega, which was initially part of the
Budin Eyalet (1542–1580), later in the
Bosna Eyalet (1580–1600), and finally in the
Kanije Eyalet. It became a notable sanjak centre in the
Kanije Eyalet in 1601. Ottoman rule lasted until 1687. After the end of Ottoman rule, and up until the end of the 19th century, many prominent noble families, such as the
Pejačević family and the Mihalović family, owned the town. In the late 19th century and early 20th century, Orahovica was part of
Virovitica County of the
Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia. In the 20th century, the town was a centre of a large municipality with well-developed industry and agriculture. During the
Croatian War of Independence, Orahovica was damaged by a number of shell attacks. It received the status of a town () in 1997. ==Economy==