The area covered by the present district of Kanyakumari was a part of the previous Travancore state. In the year 1835, when the Travancore state was divided into Northern and Southern divisions, this area formed part of the Southern division and was placed in charge of Dewan Peishkar, Kottayam. In the month of July 1949, when the United States of Cochin and Travancore was inaugurated, the present Kanyakumari area continued to form a part of Trivandrum district in Kerala. The people of Agasteeswarem, Thovalai, Kalkulam and Vilavancode taluks, which formed the southern divisions of the former Trivandrum district, were predominantly Tamil speaking. They agitated for the merger of this area with state of Madras. The States Reorganization Commission recommended this and the States Reorganization Act, 1956 was passed and the district of Kanyakumari was formed on the 1st of November 1956, with the four taluks, Viz., Kalkulam, Agasteeswarem, Thovalai and Vilavancode and merged with the state of Tamil Nadu.

The Christian Missionaries, as in other parts of India, were the pioneers of English education in the erstwhile Travancore State and mainly in the then South-Travancore, the area that presently forms the district of Kanyakumari. The Dutch and Portuguese, who came to the erstwhile Travancore State even before the British, were the Roman Catholics and they did little to improve education. But, the Protestant Missionaries who arrived later were the first to introduce English Education in Kanyakumari, which formed a part and parcel of the then Travancore State.

The district attracts a large number of tourists from different parts of India throughout the year. The Kanyakumari district is famous for its majestic hills, pristine rivers, virgin beaches and meandering rivulets. It has a fragrance of architecture, culture and customs of neighbouring Kerala mixed with the rich deep traditions, culture and architecture of Tamil Nadu as well. Tourists often come and go by seeing Kanyakumari and the Padmanabhapuram Palace as well as various other attractions. Some of the major tourist attractions in the district of Kanyakumari include Fountain at Kanniyakumari, Thiruvalluvar Statue, Mahatma Gandhi Memorial, Kamarajar Manimandapam, Vivekananda Mandapam, Vivekananda Rock Memorial, Shripada Mandapam, View Tower and Telescope House, Guganathaswamy Temple, Government Museum, Suchindrum , Kanyakumari Bagavathiamman Temple, Mathoor Hanging Bridge, Udayagiri Fort, Padmanabhapuram Palace, St. Xavier Church, Pechiparai Reservoir, Tirparappu Water Falls, Peer Mohammed Durha, Maruthuva Malai, Muttom Beach, Sanguthurai Beach, Chothavilai Beach, etc.