The park was established in 1998 and was built in several stages in conjunction with the construction of the surface-level West Side Highway.

Bicycle and pedestrian paths, spanning the park north to south, open up the waterfront for recreational use.

The park includes tennis and soccer fields, batting cages, children's playground, dog run, and many other features.

[6] Prior to colonization of New Netherland, Native Americans lived on the shore of the southernmost portion of the Hudson River—where the park now is—seasonally, in a place called Sapohanikan.

The first successful boat of its kind in the United States, it helped give Robert Fulton control over all steamboat operations on the rest of the Hudson River.

By the late 19th century, the Slaughterhouse District was created along the Hudson River shoreline in present-day Hell's Kitchen.

The park would be built on all of the land not occupied by the future West Side Highway, as well as the remaining piers.

[24] Parts of the Hudson River Park remained without power in the months after Hurricane Sandy in October 2012, due to damaged electrical cables.

After Hurricane Sandy, the park worked to return to normal operating hours once they restored power to affected areas.

Full power was restored in June 2014, 20 months after the storm, with total damages accumulating to $32 million.

To further ameliorate the debt, the bill provided for the trust to make passengers pay to board sightseeing cruise ships in the park.

[24][29] In 2014, the Hudson River Park Trust planned a river-ecology research center at Pier 26 in Tribeca, to be run by Clarkson University.

[31] The state's first memorial to the LGBT community was dedicated in June 2018, at Hudson River Park near the Christopher Street Pier.

[33] Additionally, in early 2020, Cuomo announced that he would expand the park onto Pier 76, which contained a New York City Police Department tow pound that was in the process of closing.

[39][40] By then, the park attracted 17 million annual visitors and had spurred commercial development along the West Side, including the IAC Building and a redevelopment of St. John's Terminal.

Along with these indoor recreational facilities, Chelsea Piers offers boating activities and several restaurants on premises.

[55][56] Pier 40, at Houston Street, is home to the New York Knights of the American National Rugby League, and the primary offices of the Hudson River Park Trust.

[64] In January 2019, it was announced that a 5.5-acre (2.2 ha) park would be designed on the site by James Corner Field Operations.

[67] Gansevoort Peninsula opened on October 2, 2023, with a 1,200-short-ton (1,100-long-ton) beach,[64][40] sports field, sunning lawn, promenades, two dog runs, a picnic area, fitness equipment, and a beachfront landing for non-motorized boats.

[24][70] Plans for the pier were scrapped in September 2017 due to cost overruns and lawsuits, as the budget had gone over $200 million by then.

Various lawsuits were filed against the city related to conditions at the site and allegedly illegal arrests, including those of bystanders.

[75] Plans created in 2009 call for an improved pier design for commercial use, dubbed the SuperPier,[76] which was slated to be completed in 2019.

In the late 1980s, boat enthusiast John Krevey converted an old railroad barge on the Hudson River to Pier 63.

The lightship Frying Pan and the fire vessel John J. Harvey were also originally moored to Pier 63,[83] with both listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The two companies played a prominent role in the rescue of passengers from US Airways Flight 1549, which made an emergency water landing on the Hudson in January 2009.

Headline acts such as The Clash, Frank Zappa, King Crimson, and Hot Tuna performed on the pier.

[46][91] In addition, Pier 84 is a stop for New York Water Taxi and has a bicycle rental shop and other businesses serving primarily tourists.

[106][107] On June 23, 2006, a New York City Police Department truck turned onto the bike lane, hitting a cyclist, who later died due to injuries.

[112] The bike path was also criticized for generally bad design after several other deadly incidents, including a drunk-driving fatality at Chambers Street.

[111][113] After these deaths, Transportation Alternatives pushed for stronger bollards for several years, but the only fixes made to the path were clearer road markings.