Native Americans - Hopewell, Adenas, Delaware, Shawnee and Wyandot - were the first inhabitants of the countryside that was to become Dublin. Today's Dublin was originally part of 2,000 acres of land given to Lieutenant James Holt by the US Government as payment for service in the Revolutionary War.

After several real estate transactions, John Sells and his family purchased 400 acres of land along the Scioto River in the early 1800s. This area was platted as a village in 1810. Little did he realize that his Village of Dublin would develop into one of the most progressive communities in Central Ohio. Today, the site of Sells' original purchase is known as Historic Dublin. Through well-managed growth, Dublin has preserved its historic past, while enriching the quality of life within the community. Early 19th century architecture and dry limestone fences bordering its roads add to Historic Dublin's heritage. Many of its original buildings are listed in the National Register of Historical Places.

In the 1970s, Dublin was transformed from a rural village into a suburban business center, due largely to the completion of the I-270 outerbelt and development of the Muirfield Village Golf Club and residential community. The quality of Dublin's commercial construction was established early with the development of Metro Center, the headquarters of Ashland Chemical Company and the Midwestern Volkswagen complex. With rapid business and residential growth, Dublin officially became a city in August 1987.