It was launched in 2009 and is managed by the Central Puget Sound Regional Fare Coordination Project, a board composed of local transit agencies.

Cards are sold and reloaded at participating grocery stores, customer service centers, and ticket vending machines at transit stations.

[7][8] Central Puget Sound transit agencies have collaborated in a region-wide fare system since 1991 with the introduction of U-PASS and later FlexPass.

In 1996, voters approved Sound Move, which called for an integrated regional fare policy for a "one-ticket ride".

[10] The University of Washington conducted a separate test for integrating ORCA with the Husky Card and U-PASS during the same period.

[13][failed verification] An orca mascot for the card and system was unveiled in 2023 and named "Boop" in a public contest.

[26] The new, black-colored cards debuted in October 2022 as part of a retail rollout following a short beta test period.

[27] On June 24, 2024, virtual ORCA cards were made available for Google Wallet users with full support across the system's member agencies.

[28] Additional smartphone and contactless credit card compatibility had also been announced for 2023,[29] but these features were delayed due to system issues with the user experience and management of employee accounts.

[32] The new card, which features a black design, includes a barcode and magstripe for quicker reloading at retail outlets.

[33] ORCA is managed by the Central Puget Sound Regional Fare Coordination System, a joint board of directors with representatives of all member transit agencies.

[37] Employers may purchase one of two products for their employees: The ORCA Business Passport is comprehensive, annual transportation pass program.

Employers pay a flat annual cost per employee and each receives an ORCA card that covers almost all transit services in the Puget Sound, including Vanpool.

Any unused E-voucher amount at the end of the month is removed from the employee ORCA cards and refunded to the business.

[41] ORCA card users paying with an E-purse can set their zone preference for King County Metro and Sound Transit services.

Examples of autoloads are adding value to an E-purse when its balance falls below a certain amount and recurring purchases of monthly passes.

[47] The King County Council has requested a study on the impact of either eliminating the $5 fee or adding $5 in value to all newly purchased cards.