Kokshetau - the administrative centre of Akmolinsky area, is located on the bank of lake Kopa. In 1824 the Kokchetav external district has been opened, and in 1868 the Kokchetav district has been transformed to district, Kokchetav began to be called as the district centre. Officially the status of the city of Kokchetav was appropriated in 1895.

The city gradually took the modern form. The population has increased, the number of workers grew. Hospitals have been constructed, the number of doctors and staff nurses has increased.

Today the considerable contribution to a city economy such enterprises, as joint-stock company «Vasilkovsky GOK» — one of the leading gold mining enterprises of the country, engaged in extraction and manufacture of cathodic gold bring, Open Company "Kamaz-engineering" which is engaged in manufacture of dump-body trucks, buses, installations. Kokshetau is a youth students city. Today 10 higher educational institutions, 12 colleges, 6 lycées, 20 schools here are. The great attention is given to development of childrens creativity — for children the childrens art school, the Center on work with exceptional children, musical school, numerous sports sections functions.

In the south-east of the town is Lake Borovoye, on the banks of which there are numerous recreational and tourist facilities, convenient for visitors. Here you will be offered any ethnic dishes, horseback riding. On the mountain, narrow trails can be accessed from the lake on Borovoye Chebache lake. Resort Borovoye with its inimitable beauty located 20 kilometers from the city.