The settlement was first founded in the first half of the 15th century. It was granted the Magdeburg rights in 1448. In 1960, Smotrych was granted the status of an urban-type settlement.[2] The town lies on the banks of the Smotrych River.
Until 18 July 2020, Smotrych belonged to Dunaivtsi Raion. The raion was abolished in July 2020 as part of the administrative reform of Ukraine, which reduced the number of raions of Khmelnytskyi Oblast to three. The area of Dunaivtsi Raion was merged into Kamianets-Podilskyi Raion.[5][6]
Until 26 January 2024, Smotrych was designated urban-type settlement. On this day, a new law entered into force which abolished this status, and Smotrych became a rural settlement.[7]
