The Pilbara Road District was gazetted on 22 June 1894. It lost some territory to the new Nullagine Road District on 8 July 1898. It was renamed the Port Hedland Road District on 18 March 1904.[3]
It became the Shire of Port Hedland on 1 July 1961 under the Local Government Act 1960, which reformed all remaining road districts into shires.[3] It underwent substantial boundary changes on 28 April 1972, losing approximately 5,669 square kilometres to the Shire of Marble Bar and gaining approximately 18.3 square kilometres from the Shire of Roebourne.[4] It assumed its current name when it gained town status on 18 March 1989.[3]
In June 2019 the Council was suspended by the state government and replaced with a commissioner.[5]
In October 2019, the government of Western Australia announced that there would be no further residential development of the West End of Port Hedland to protect sensitive population groups from health effects caused by dust generated by Port activities.
^* This LGA holds city status under the Local Government Act 1995, ^† This LGA holds town status under the Local Government Act 1995, ^# Western Australian law applies to the Indian Ocean Territories under the Territories Law Reform Act 1992
