The event was originally conceived by the City of Derry and District Motor Club with the intention of holding it somewhere in the north-west of Ireland, but the initial meeting was moved to the north coast. The name was never changed to reflect the new location. Since 1964 the event has been organised by the Coleraine and District Motor Club.
The early decades of the North West 200 were dominated by British motorcycle manufacturers, particularly Norton. Honda claimed their first victory in 1964. Jack Brett recorded the first 100 mph lap of the course on a Manx Norton 500 cc in 1957. The fastest recorded lap under the current configuration featuring four chicanes belongs to Peter Hickman, who set 124.799 mph (200.845 km/h) during the 2022 Superbike event. The outright course record, set under a different configuration, was 127.63 mph by Tom Herron during the 1978 race.
In 2004, Michael Rutter became the first rider to record a top speed in excess of 200 mph on the course. During practice at the 2012 event, Martin Jessopp reached 208 mph on the approach to University Corner.
The circuit is made up almost entirely of public roads, incorporating the A2, B185 and A29, with three speed-reducing chicanes introduced over the years to manage the extraordinary velocities the course generates. The route runs anti-clockwise, passing through the outskirts of the three towns. Street signs are removed at sections of the track and hay bales are wrapped around the bases of lampposts and telegraph poles to improve safety.
The elevation ranges from 6 to 75 metres above sea level. The original start and finish line was located near Magherabouy before moving to the Portmore Road in Portstewart in 1930. Major course modifications in 1973 excluded the Portstewart promenade from the route and moved the start and finish line to its current location between Juniper Hill and Millbank Avenue.
Unlike the Isle of Man TT, which is run as a time trial with riders starting individually, the North West 200 races riders simultaneously in the conventional format. The racing programme consists of several separate races on the Saturday afternoon, each covering four to six laps. Practice is held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings before the race. From 2010 onward, daytime practice on Thursday was introduced, and from 2012 all practice sessions moved to daylight hours. Racing on Thursday evenings was also extended.
Alastair Seeley holds the record for the most victories at the North West 200, with 29 wins, surpassing the previous record of 15 held by Robert Dunlop. Michael Rutter has won fourteen races and Joey Dunlop thirteen. Michael Dunlop, William Dunlop and Robert Dunlop's sons have all won at the event. BMW scored their first victory in 2010, the first non-Japanese manufacturer to win since 1997. Yamaha remains the only manufacturer to achieve a clean sweep, winning all five races in 1979.
The North West 200's closed public roads and extreme speeds have resulted in fatal incidents across its history. The first recorded death was Norman Wainwright in 1939. The darkest single day came in 1979, referred to as Black Saturday, when crashes claimed the lives of Tom Herron, Brian Hamilton, and Frank Kennedy, who died months later from his injuries.
Robert Dunlop died on 15 May 2008 during practice for the 250 cc class. Approaching Mather's Cross at approximately 160 mph, his bike seized and he was thrown over the handlebars. Fellow rider Darren Burns was following immediately behind and collided with Robert, suffering a broken leg and concussion. Robert died in hospital shortly afterward.
Mark Young died during the 2009 event on 17 May. Mark Buckley suffered a fatal crash on Millbank Avenue during the Superstock race on 19 May 2012. Simon Andrews died on 19 May 2014 after a high-speed crash on the approach to Metropole corner in Portrush. Malachi Mitchell-Thomas, 20, died in a crash during the Supertwins race on 14 May 2016.
In 2026 Kamil Holan, a 48-year-old Czech rider, died following an incident in Superbike qualifying at Station Corner.
The North West 200 is covered by BBC Northern Ireland, with live races broadcast on BBC iPlayer and radio coverage on BBC Radio Ulster. BBC commentators have included MotoGP commentator Steve Parrish and five-time single-day winner Phillip McCallen. BBC Sport NI extended its contract to provide coverage of the event until 2029.
The circuit appears in the PlayStation 2 title TT Superbikes: Real Road Racing Championship, as well as in Milestone's Ride 2, Ride 3, Ride 4 and Ride 5 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.