During the Spanish Colonization of the country, Meycauayan as an early settlement was established in 1578 by Friars Juan de Placencia and Diego Oropesa, part of the First Franciscan Mission to the Philippines.  The first church made of nipa and bamboo, and was dedicated under the patronage of St. Francis of Assisi.

It was only in 1589 however, that a concrete church structure was constructed when the town center was transferred to its new location at Lagolo. Meycauayan being a province in its antiquity is then one of the largest towns in the province of Bulacan. The towns, which fell under its political jurisdiction, were Bocaue (1606), Polo (1621) now Valenzuela, San Jose del Monte (1751), Obando (1754), Sta. Maria de Pandi (1792) and Marilao (1796).

During the revolution of 1896, Meycauayan contributed its share in the fight for our freedom. Among her sons who figured prominently in the revolution were: Gen. Andres Pacheco, Col. Ciriaco Contreras, Guillermo Bosque, and Liberato Exaltacion. There were many others who had joined the revolution and had displayed their exceptional heroism until 1898, when the country gained its independence.

In 1949, a big fire razed the whole Town Center in Poblacion, causing setbacks to the development of the municipality. It took several years to recover from the destruction and property losses. However, in the 1960s, new hope for the development was ushered in. Reconstruction and rehabilitation of infrastructure facilities were made possible through the assistance of the provincial and national governments. A sounder economic base was achieved that make her a First Class Municipality in the 1970’s.

The Jewelry Industry is an indigenous and labor intensive industry but has to make its mark in the world market. It has remained a silent participant of the bustling business activity of the country and was contend on serving the domestic market. While the market abroad for fine jewelry has expanded, the Philippines fine jewelry whose center is in Meycauayan, Bulacan failed to capitalize on the strength of the industry to fully maximize the opportunities presented in the market. Our neighboring countries have taken advantage of this and they have been successful in making a big niche of the export market.

On December 10, 2006, by virtue of Republic Act 9356, voters in Meycauayan ratified the conversion of Meycauayan into a component city of Bulacan through another plebiscite. It became the province’s third city, joining San Jose del Monte and Malolos. Today, the city of Meycauayan has transformed into a major economic and industrial hub in the Province of Bulacan and the rest of Region III.