[citation needed] Tignish was founded in the late 1790s by nine francophone Acadian families, with further immigrants (mostly Irish) arriving in the 19th century and settling mostly in the nearby smaller locality of Anglo–Tignish (meaning "English Tignish").

One of the town's most popular and defining structures is the local Catholic church, St. Simon & St. Jude Catholic Church, which was among the first major structures built in Tignish, constructed between 1857 and 1860.

[18] Tignish was once the western terminus of the Prince Edward Island Railway.

Fishing is one of the most important aspects of daily life and employment in Tignish, with many local families depending on this industry for income.

Tignish is within district #27 of PEI's electoral boundaries, which is labeled Tignish–Palmer Road.

Tignish experiences a humid continental climate (Koppen: Dfb) with four seasons, with winter being the longest.

Summers are very mild to warm due to the Gulf of St Lawrence moderating temperatures during the warmer months.