In the Antebellum South era, an early church and school built along the spring were named Center Point, for the community's central location in Benton County.

Though the area did not see any formal action during the Civil War, Union troops camped at McKissick Spring on March 5, 1862, shortly before the Battle of Pea Ridge.

After the Reconstruction era, the Arkansas-Oklahoma Railroad Company connected Rogers, Arkansas and Grove, Oklahoma through western Benton County.

The railroad opened the apple and strawberry orchards of the county to new markets, bringing economic prosperity, development, and population growth to the region.

Upon laying out the town in 1900, the name was changed to Centerton, as Center Point was already registered in Howard County.

The NWA gross domestic product grew 7.0% over the aforementioned time period, and bankruptcies, building permits and per capita incomes are returning to pre-Recession rates.

[12] The professional, education and health care sectors of the Northwest Arkansas economy have been growing steadily since 2007.

The construction and real estate sectors saw large declines attributable to the poor housing market during the economic downturn.

Public education for elementary and secondary students in the majority of Centerton is provided by Bentonville School District.

Other portions of Centerton are zoned to Elm Tree, Mary Mae Jones, Osage Creek, and Vaughn elementary schools.

Lifeway Christian School serves preschool through grade 12 and is based in the city's First Baptist Church Centerton.