COTA was conceived by promoter Tavo Hellmund and 1993 500cc World Champion Kevin Schwantz, with the track layout designed by German circuit architect Hermann Tilke. Construction began on 31 December 2010 and the circuit was officially opened on 21 October 2012, when Mario Andretti completed the ceremonial first laps in a Lotus 79.
The 20-turn layout runs counter-clockwise and features an elevation change of 133 feet (41 m). From the start line drivers or riders climb a gradient exceeding 11% to Turn 1 — the highest point of the circuit, known as Big Red — before a series of fast sweepers modelled on Silverstone's Maggotts-Becketts-Chapel complex (Turns 3-9), a hairpin at Turn 11 leading onto a 1 km straight, and a final sector inspired by the arena bends at Hockenheim and Turn 8 at Istanbul Park. The counter-clockwise direction places unusually high lateral loads on riders' left sides.
The top speed recorded at COTA in MotoGP competition is 221.5 mph (355 km/h), set by Maverick Vinales in 2023 on an Aprilia.
The route to a MotoGP race at COTA was complicated by a dispute between Kevin Schwantz — who had co-designed the track with the intent of also promoting a Grand Prix through his company 3fourTexas — and circuit management. After Schwantz's arrangement with MotoGP rights-holder Dorna Sports was terminated in July 2012 on the grounds that he had failed to secure the necessary circuit rights, the Circuit of the Americas negotiated directly with Dorna. In October 2012, Dorna confirmed the Motorcycle Grand Prix of the Americas would appear on the 2013 calendar. Schwantz and COTA subsequently reached an amicable settlement ahead of the 2014 race, with Schwantz appointed as official circuit ambassador.
The race has been held annually since 2013 and is a prominent fixture on the MotoGP calendar, drawing substantial support from American fans and benefiting from Austin's profile as a major event city.
The circuit site covers approximately 890 acres and includes extensive visitor infrastructure. A 251-foot (77 m) observation tower designed by Austin-based Miro Rivera Architects provides 360-degree views of the track and the Austin skyline. The Germania Insurance Amphitheater, located at the base of the tower, holds up to 14,000 people and has hosted major concert acts during race weekends. The 20-acre Grand Plaza is bordered on three sides by the track and contains a reflecting pool, promenade, concessions and grandstand access.
The main grandstand has a capacity of approximately 9,000 and the facility as a whole hosts attendance figures during major race weekends that have exceeded 440,000 across three days for the Formula One United States Grand Prix, demonstrating the scale of the site's event infrastructure.
COTA hosts multiple racing series in addition to MotoGP, including Formula One (United States Grand Prix), NASCAR Cup Series, the FIA World Endurance Championship (Lone Star Le Mans), and MotoAmerica. The circuit also features a karting track with 15 turns measuring 0.63 miles (1.01 km). COTA was the first United States circuit purpose-built to Formula One specifications.