The earliest known settlement by Europeans in the area was in 1800 by Jacques Drieux, during the British West Florida period.

He is buried on the corner of the city cemetery directly across from the Covington Police Department.

Many historians believe the city was renamed for General Leonard Covington, a hero of the War of 1812.

Local historian Judge Steve Ellis floats another theory centered on the suggestion by Jesse Jones, a local attorney, that the city be named in honor of the Blue Grass whiskey (made in Covington, Kentucky) enjoyed by town officials.

Much of the former railroad right-of-way is now occupied by the Tammany Trace, a 31-mile bike trail running east and west through several communities on the north side of Lake Pontchartrain.

Many people moved to the Northshore for more affordable housing, larger lot size, and a small-town feeling.

This is considered to be associated with white flight out of New Orleans, though the Jefferson Parish area had the most expansion during that period.

[11] As of the 2020 United States census, 11,564 people, 3,710 households, and 2,546 families resided in the city.

At the 2000 United States census,[14] 8,483 people, 3,258 households, and 2,212 families lived in the city.

The 2019 American Community Survey determined the city had a median income of $71,548 and poverty rate of 13.4%.