The town of Hinton was named for W.D. Hinton of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway. The community was officially recognized in 1928.
The town of Hinton, during its history, has changed locations ten times. The original settlement of what would become Hinton was established along Hardiststy creek by an aboriginal tribe from the Jasper area. The tribe left ill members, stricken with smallpox at the site on their way to Lac Ste. Anne to find medical aid. The area was thus dubbed Cache Picote (Smallpox Camp) in 1870.
Jack Gregg established a trading post at Prairie Creek in 1888 to serve travelers along the Jasper trail. The creek is now known as Muskuta creek after an incorrect interpretation of the Cree name by white settlers. The construction of the railroad saw the establishment of a construction camp at Prairie Creek in 1908. The Canadian Northern Railway also established a station called Bliss, 8 km from Prairie Creek, in 1914. Dalehurst, in 1915 became the postal station for Hinton. Entrance was the name of another important centre to Hinton as it served as its communications centre. Entrance was so named due to its location at the entrance of Jasper national park.
The Canadian Northern Railway became an aggregating force as settlements grew around the operations of this company. The company, however, abandoned its track in 1926.
The population of Hinton experienced a boom during the 1930s as a Frank Seabolt from Georgia, with two other business partners, opened the Hinton mine in 1931. Shortly thereafter, the population dwindled to less than 100 people due to a recession but the town rebounded in 1955 with the opening of a pulp mill. The mill brought rapid construction to Hinton and to the neighbouring city of Drinnin and the two cities amalgamated in 1957 to form the present municipality of Hinton.