Early farmers settled in 1868 at the base of the northern Oquirrh Mountains and called their community Pleasant Green.

[5] In 1890, in response to a law requiring all children to receive free public education, the first school was built in the community.

In the early 1900s, copper mining activity in the Oquirrhs began transforming the Pleasant Green area from an agricultural hamlet to an industrial community.

Beginning in 1903, Magna saw a large influx of Greek immigrants, primarily prompted by coal mine strikes in Carbon County, Utah and Fresno, California.

The formation of Magna's Greektown coincided with that of the forming of Salt Lake City, happening only about 15 miles to the east.

In 1908, the Webster School (destroyed by fire and demolished in June 2004)[7] was built at the west end of what is now Main Street.

In 1914, an Italian woman by the name of Anna Carrone settled here and met coal miner Rocco Polidori.

The Hercules Powder Co., once a small dynamite manufacturing firm had begun producing rocket motors at its Bacchus Works plant, south of the Magna community, named after 1912 founder T.W.

The increased jobs were one factor that encouraged subdivision development in the Magna, Kearns, and West Valley City areas.

The improvements created sufficient capacity to serve more than double the population at the time and helped open the way for development.

Not only did Magna's population begin shifting southward during the 1960s, but also automobile commuting, both to work and shopping, became common.

Inexpensive land south and east of the historic town center began being developed into moderately priced single-family homes.

[13] On May 1, 2024, Magna was officially promoted from a metro township to a city, as a result of Utah's House Bill 35, passed in February of that year.

[14] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.4 square miles (19 km2), all land.

The racial makeup of the county was 69.76% non-Hispanic White, 0.30% Black, 0.48% Native American, 1.50% Asian, 0.37% Pacific Islander, and 1.95% from two or more races.

Northrop Grumman has a solid rocket motor manufacturing plant in Magna.https://news.northropgrumman.com/news/releases/northrop-grumman-invests-in-new-solid-rocket-motor-manufacturing-facilities-in-magna-utah Magna lies on the grid system of the Salt Lake Valley, between 7200 and 9200 West and 2100 and 4100 South.

The Utah Transit Authority (UTA) operates bus route 35 (3500 South) within the community, which enters from West Valley City.

[19] Downtown Magna was used as a central filming location for the hit Disney Channel series Andi Mack.