Like many small boroughs in Pennsylvania, North Wales' boundaries have not kept pace with population growth.

Part of a 1702 land grant by William Penn, the area was then a rich farming country named 'Gwynedd for the homeland of the earliest settlers.

Before 1850, a number of farms, and a 1776 church, shared by the Lutheran and Episcopal congregations, dotted the present borough's landscape.

What is now Main Street was originally an old Indian trail, and was laid out as the Great Road in 1728.

Its rural character was abruptly disrupted by the building of the North Pennsylvania Railroad starting in 1852.

Some of the large homes at the start of the 20th century were opened to summer guests from the city.

"Idlewilde", still present on Main Street, hosted Pedro II of Brazil, the last monarch of Brazil, during his visit to Philadelphia to open the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia in 1875 with President Ulysses S. Grant.

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, much of North Wales borough's housing was built.

The borough also features a variety of single family homes, as well as twins, and rowhouses.

Between 1900 and 1926, Lehigh Valley Transit Company operated its Chestnut Hill Branch trolley line, which connected North Wales to surrounding towns through service to either Philadelphia or Allentown.

The trolley ran down Main Street through the borough, but detoured onto Pennsylvania Avenue for two blocks to enable it to cross the North Penn Railroad on a bridge.

After Main Street trolley service ended in 1926, Lehigh Valley Transit high-speed trolleys continued to serve the Wales Junction station, located on Sumneytown Pike three-quarters of a mile west of town.

North Wales' Main and Walnut Streets have been home to many businesses over the town's history; they still provide services such as hair salons and beauty parlors, doctors' offices, a dry cleaner, a running and walking shoe specialty store, a yoga studio, two auto repair facilities and auto body shops, two laundromats, a post office, convenience store, and a recording studio.

The original elementary school from the 1900s was located at the current site of Borough Hall.

Eighth Street Park, also known as "A Child's Garden," was developed by local children.

[9] Neil McDevitt was the first deaf person to be elected mayor of a municipality in the United States.

[12] In 2022, North Wales Borough hired David Erenius as its new Chief of Police.

[16] Electricity and natural gas in North Wales is provided by PECO Energy Company, a subsidiary of Exelon.

[20][21] Cable, telephone, and internet service in North Wales s provided by Xfinity and Verizon.