[2] Montara was largely developed in the 1960s as military housing for the nearby Forbes Air Force Base, and was known as Cullen Village.

In 1979, Lario Enterprises bought the community from the city of Topeka, and began refurbishing the approximately 1,050 units for resale.

[3] While a large portion of the homes are owned and rented out by Montara Leasing, over time in recent years[when?]

There are also three baseball diamonds and a soccer field located to the east and behind the Paris Community Center.

In March 2013, Mars Chocolate North America opened a $250 million plant south of Topeka near the Montara neighborhood.