Long before European settlement, the area now known as Renton was home to the Duwamish people, who established villages along the Black and Cedar Rivers to fish, forage, and hunt. In the 1850s, European-American settlers arrived in the region. Among them was Erasmus M. Smithers, who discovered coal in the area and founded the town, naming it in honor of Captain William Renton, a local lumber merchant who had heavily invested in the coal trade.
Renton was officially incorporated on September 6, 1901. For the first few decades of its existence, the local economy was anchored by coal mining, clay and brick manufacturing (notably the Renton Clay Works), and timber. However, the town's destiny shifted dramatically during World War II when the Boeing Company established a manufacturing plant on the shores of Lake Washington to build B-29 Superfortress bombers. This brought thousands of jobs and sparked a population boom.
In the post-war era, Renton transitioned into commercial aviation manufacturing, eventually becoming the primary assembly plant for Boeing's narrow-body jets like the 707, 727, 737, and 757. The late 20th and early 21st centuries saw the city diversify its economy beyond heavy manufacturing, investing heavily in downtown revitalization, retail districts, and welcoming tech companies. Today, Renton respects its working-class, industrial roots while embracing its role as a modern, diverse metropolitan hub.