Jagatsinghpur is also famous for the Sarala Temple and is well-known as the cultural heart of Orissa. The district (smallest in size among the 30 districts in Orissa) has produced some of the most famous names in Oriya and Indian literature: Sarala Das, Birakishore, Gopal Chhotaray, Pratibha Ray and Bibhuti Pattnaik, for example.

Paradip, a modern deepwater port, was built in the 1960s, and has now become a hot business destination due to the largest foreign direct investment (FDI) in India as POSCO is setting up a plant along with its own port for transportation. Indian Oil Corporation has been trying to set up an oil refinery also.

Jagatsinghpur was the worst hit district in the super cyclone in October 1999 in which more than 10,000 of people died.

The District is also famous for having the most no of successful theater groups which has helped in keeping the old tradition of live acting before crowd. The theater groups have become the part of mainstream entertainment for people all over Orissa. In this district the villages Fulapatana, Naharan, Marichpur, Balipatana, Dhanuhar Belari etc. are adjascent to Bay of Bengal.