The Höchster Becken ("Höchst Basin"), was permanently settled, as were other favourable locations, no later than the New Stone Age.

In the outlying centre of Hummetroth, a Roman villa rustica from the 2nd century was unearthed and may be visited as an open-air museum.

He was succeeded by the non-party member Horst Bitsch in a run-off election on 20 November 2011, who took office on 2 January 2012.

The community of Höchst im Odenwald maintains partnership arrangements with the following places: Montmélian, Savoie, France since 1966 Bělotín, Olomouc Region, Czech Republic Höchst, like Hetschbach and Mümling-Grumbach, is connected by the Odenwald Railway (Odenwaldbahn; RMV Line 65) towards the north with Hanau and, through a change of trains, to Frankfurt am Main, towards the northwest directly with Darmstadt and towards the south with Erbach and Eberbach in the Neckar valley.

Since 1964, Höchst has been home to the Ernst-Göbel-Schule, a cooperative comprehensive school with a Gymnasium upper level.