The first inhabitants of what would become Oak Hill were the native Timucuan, who lived along the shore from c. 2000 BCE to 1500 CE, when European settlers started to arrive.

[1][2] By the Civil War, Oak Hill had a salt works, some part-time stores, and the first orange groves had been planted (by a Mr. Mitchell).

In 1924, a grade 1 through 10 school was built on Ridge Road, just to the east of Dixie Highway (now US-1), which was paved the same year.

[3][4] The non-profit Oak Hill Community Trust, with the assistance and guidance of local architect Sid Corhern, Tom Gibbs, and many, many other concerned citizens purchased the property from the county school board in late 2009.

Beginning in September 2010, hundreds of volunteers gave thousands of hours of their time to refurbish the buildings.

In 2012, Kennedy Space Center donated a surplus 10,000 square foot office building to the school, on condition that it had to be moved from KSC without delay.

Again, volunteers stepped forward and the building was delivered (in eight sections) to the site, reassembled, refurbished as classrooms, and is now in use.

In the past, citrus growing and commercial fishing were the primary income sources for residents of Oak Hill.

A series of hard freezes, cold snaps and the advent of citrus canker have greatly reduced the number of citrus groves, and by 1995 the State of Florida's Gill Net Ban eliminated most of the fishing business.

There is a significant amount of recreational fishing and eco-tourism, and Oak Hill is one terminus for the Florida "River of Lakes" scenic highway.

Several regional bicycle paths traverse Oak Hill, and seeing groups of dozens of recreational touring cyclists is quite common.

Local government was based on a Mayor-Commission, with each commissioner functioning as head of a municipal department.

Mayor Darla Lauer resigned for personal reasons, and was replaced by Mary Lee Cook.

The Volusia County Sheriff's Department assumed law enforcement duties for the city.

As of late 2024, five residential planned unit developments (RPUDs) are in various stages of the permitting process.

There was tremendous community support and involvement for the cleanup and brush removal at these previously neglected sites.

[9] The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild winters.