The origin of the city's name can be traced to the Muisca cacique Huintiva or Hyntiba (meaning "powerful cacique" in Muysccubun) and the mutation of the word to its present spelling, this among other names such as Ontibon and Hontibón.

[2] Fontibón was part of the southern Muisca Confederation in the times before the Spanish conquest.

[3] Fontibon was the gate to the current city of Bogotá founded as Santa Fe de Bogotá, for conquistador Gonzalo Jimenez de Quesada and his fellow expeditioners.

Fontibon's original maps constitute one of Colombia's oldest documents.

In 1956, Fontibon was merged with Bogotá, losing its status as an "associate town".