16^th century was the time of the Turkish raids, when they often devastated villages, especially after the fall of Szigetvár in 1566. Then Kanizsa became of key importance, but after its fall in 1600 there were no notable castles left in the area. A chain of castles consisting mainly of small, palisade castles tried to resist the Turks. These castles were by no means suitable for stopping a large Turkish force, but at least they were successful in their fights with smaller raiding detachments.

Such castles were Szécsisziget, Lenti, Lövő, Egerszeg, Kapornak, Pölöske, Egervár, Szentgrót, Szentgyörgyvár, Keszthely and Komár. At this time in Csáktornya, still part of Zala county, lived and worked Miklós Zrínyi, the poet and general, who was Lord Lieutenant of the county, which title was always given by the king at his discretion. The holder of the title represented the king in that particular county. During the military expedition to drive the Turkish forces out, Kanizsa was liberated in 1690.

After the Turks had left, the castles still intact were destroyed on the king's order, while the palisade castles, due to lack of maintenance collapsed by themselves. With the liberating troops having withdrawn, everywhere there was devastation. Depopulated villages, ruined churches and monasteries, plough lands having lain fallow for a long time greeted those returning to their ancestors' lands.  One by one or in small groups runaway serfs also moved to the unpopulated areas. Later some landlords settled Germans in some villages. The landowners tried to attract serfs with favourable conditions relating to statute labour. In the 18^th century villages were rebuilt, with churches in Szentgrót, Egerszeg, Nova, Szécsisziget, Bucsuszentlászló, and in other places, monasteries in Türje, Kanizsa, Bucsuszentlászló, Zalaapáti, Keszthely, mansion houses in Szentgrót, Keszthely, Letenye, Resznek, Szécsisziget.

One of the market towns of the county, Kanizsa started to develop quickly. Keszthely became the centre of the estates of the Festetics family. Egerszeg became the permanent county seat after the county hall had been built in 1732. This was also the century when the Piarists opened a grammar school in Kanizsa, the Franciscans founded one in Keszthely in 1772, later to be taken over by the teaching order of the Premonstrants. To crown this process György Festetics founded Georgikon, a university of agriculture in 1797.

 The first part of the 19^th century saw a great period of social and political activity, called the Reform Period, when two outstanding personalities were called onto the stage of national politics. One was Ferenc Deák, and the other László Csány, who was martyred in 1849. A permanent theatre was built in Balatonfüred, Ádám Pálóczi Horváth organised a literary group called Göcsej Helikon, the first steamboat was launched on Lake Balaton, and people danced at the Anna-ball in Balatonfüred, bathing started at Balaton, which is called " an Eden a hundred times over" by the poet, Berzsenyi. During the 1860's it was railway construction that gave a new impetus to the economy of the county. Nagykanizsa benefited particularly from this, as it became a junction. This is how some rivalry between the two towns, which can still be felt, developed in the county. Nagykanizsa became the economic centre, while Zalaegerszeg became the administrative centre. Due to the treaty following World War I the south-western areas of the county and the Mura river area were detached from Zala county. Later, due to the administrative reorganisation the northern shore of Lake Balaton together with Keszthely were annexed to Veszprém county. Keszthely and the surrounding area was returned to the county in 1979. In the period between the Great War and the Great Depression our towns carried out an intensive development programme.

In the middle of the 30's they tried to attract holidaymakers to villages in the county. In 1935 they organised the first Göcsej Week.

Towards the end of the 30's in the south, a new industry, the petroleum industry was established, which has played a significant role in the county's economy ever since. The difficult decades following the Second World War brought unbalanced development. Underdevelopment of the border areas was in contrast to intensive town development. In the past 15 years, however, the county and its people have been taking advantage of their geographical situation.

One advantage is its closeness to Croatia, Slovenia and Austria, the other is the opportunities offered by tourism. Balaton attracts a lot of holidaymakers. Our thermal and health spas offer treatment and entertainment. This branch of tourist industry has developed the most dynamically. Tourists also find interest in angling and hunting as well.