Before the arrival of the Han Chinese, the Hsinchu area was home to the indigenous Taokas, Saisiyat, and Atayal.

Minnanese (Hoklo) and Hakka came and began to cultivate the land from the plains near the sea towards the river valleys and hills.

In 1684, Zhuluo County was established during Qing dynasty rule and more Han settled near Tek-kham.

In the late 19th century, Hoklo people dominated the coastal plains, forcing the Saisiyat and Atayal tribes to move to areas around Jianshi and Wufeng, while the Hakka and Taokas settled together in the river valleys and hills.

After the handover of Taiwan from Japan to the Republic of China in 1945, Hsinchu County was established on 25 December 1945.

In 2021, plans are underway to have both Hsinchu county and city merged into the nation's seventh special municipality.

Hsinchu County is home to the gas-fired Hsintao Power Plant with a capacity of 600 MW located in Guanxi Township.

[11] The Hsinchu Station of the Taiwan High Speed Rail is located in the county at Zhubei City.