Famed West Hollywood is bounded by the city of Beverly Hills on the West, and by neighborhoods of the city of Los Angeles: Hollywood Hills on the North, Hollywood on the East, the Fairfax District on the Southeast, and Beverly Grove on the Southwest. Most historical writings about West Hollywood begin in the late 18th century with European colonization when the Portuguese explorer João Rodrigues Cabrilho traveled to and eventually laid claim on the region for Spain. Around 5,000 of the indigenous inhabitants from the Tongva Indian tribe canoed out to greet the ship. The Tongva tribe was a nation of hunter-gatherers known for their reverence for dance and courage. By 1771, these native people had been severely ravaged by the diseases brought in by the Europeans from across wide oceans. The Spanish mission system changed the name of the Tongva tribe to "Gabrielinos", in reference to the Mission de San Gabriel. Early in 1770 Gaspar de Portola's Mexican expeditionary force stopped just south of the Santa Monica Mountains near what would become West Hollywood. Here they collected pitch(brea in Spanish) from tar pits which they used to waterproof their belongings and to say Mass.The Gabrielinos are believed to have burned the pitch for fuel. 

By 1780, what became the "Sunset Strip" was the major connecting road for El Pueblo de Los Angeles, and all ranches westward to the Pacific Ocean. This land passed through the hands of various owners during the next one hundred years, and it was called names such as "La Brea" and "Plummer" that are listed in historical records. Most of this area was part of the Rancho La Brea, and eventually it came to be owned by the Henry Hancock family.

During the final decade years of the nineteenth century, the first large land reconstruction of the town of "Sherman" significantly accelerated the development of the region. In what would later become West Hollywood—the town of "Sherman"—was established by Moses Sherman and his partners of the Los Angeles Pacific Railroad, an interurban railroad line which later became part of the Pacific Electric Railway system. Sherman became the location of the railroad's main shops, railroad yards, and "car barns". Many working-class employees of the railroad settled in this town. In a controversial decision, in 1925 Sherman adopted "West Hollywood", "...a moniker pioneered earlier in the decade by the West Hollywood Realty Board" as its informal name, though it remained under the governance of Los Angeles County. 

West Hollywood (aka: WeHo), is home of the famous Sunset Strip. It extends from West Hollywood's Eastern border with the city of Los Angeles near Marmont Lane where the infamous hotel Chateaux Marmont, a swanky celebrity hideway resides, to its Western border with Beverly Hills at Phyllis Street. During the late 1960s, the Sunset Strip was transformed again during the “hippie” movement which brought a thriving music publishing industry coupled with the "hippie" culture. Some young people from all over the country flocked to West Hollywood. Today, “The Sunset Strip” is the hub of world class experiences in West Hollywood. Home to legendary, iconic establishments like The Roxy, Whisky a Go Go, and The Comedy Store, the Strip is the place to connect to Hollywood history. Combining a mythic rock n’ roll reputation with modern day luxury, old meets new fantastic high end shops and restaurants at the expansive Sunset Strip.

The city of West Hollywood gave the keys to the city to Stormy Daniels on "Stormy Daniels Day", May 23, 2018.