Irvine West was created by the Initial Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements in 1979 as one of the 30 wards of Cunninghame District Council.

The original boundaries took in the western part of Irvine on the Firth of Clyde coast up to the River Garnock and included the abandoned Snodgrass Village and Bogside Racecourse.

[2] There were minor changes to the boundaries following the Second Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements in 1994 which saw the ward's southern boundary extended south to the council's border with Kyle and Carrick District Council to include the Dundonald Links golf course.

Further minor alterations saw the ward's northeastern boundary moved east following the Third Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements in 1998 to run along Kilwinning Road.

[4] As a result of the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004, council elections would be run under the single transferable vote and new multi-member wards would be introduced.