Although Zigong has a rich history, its name is a morden one that came from the combination of Ziliujing and Gongjing, two older city names, in 1939. Today four municipal districts and two counties fall under the jurisdiction of Zigong. They are Ziliujing District, Da'an District, Gongjing District, Yantan District, Rong County and Fushun County.
Zigong has a total administration area of 4,381 square kilometers.