In 1853, Mormon Church president Brigham Young awarded hundreds of acres of farmland to trailblazer and trusted bodyguard "Return" Jackson Redden.

The first recorded settlement was Redden's ranch, spanning from 100 N. Main Street to beyond the Coalville City Cemetery where he is buried.

In 1854, the territorial government in Utah offered a $1000 reward to anyone who could find coal within 40 miles of Salt Lake City.

[6] Hundreds of tons of coal were shipped to Salt Lake City, and soon a narrow gauge railroad was built.

[11] Unlike most Mormon settlements in Utah and the intermountain west, Coalville city streets are not aligned to the true north.

Both the Thomas L. Allen House and the Summit Stake Tabernacle in Coalville are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

However, the high altitude and low humidity mean that mornings in the summer remain very cool, and frosts have occasionally occurred—even in July.

Owing to this localized phenomenon, observed low temperatures are often significantly lower than those forecasted by national agencies.

Some residents of the Coalville area pursue careers in farming, ranching, construction, public education, and county government—though many commute to the Wasatch Front.

A health clinic serves residents of Coalville and other settlements in northern Summit County, as well as a dental office.

Vacant commercial real estate continues to be a problem, especially along the main street, as is the case in many small towns in rural America—an effect of urbanization.