[5] The name of the city comes from Alonso Quintero, the Spanish navigator who discovered the bay in 1536 when he arrived on the ship Santiaguillo.

[7] Multiple protests about the gradual environmental destruction were unsuccessful, until a serious episode of mass poisoning in August 2018[8][9][10] put a spotlight on the city's situation and its surroundings in Quintero Bay causing investigations by the Senate of Chile.

As a commune, Quintero is a third-level administrative division of Chile administered by a communal council, headed by an alcalde who is directly elected every four years.

[1] Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Quintero is represented in the Chamber of Deputies by Eduardo Cerda (PDC) and Andrea Molina (UDI) as part of the 10th electoral district, together with La Ligua, Petorca, Cabildo, Papudo, Zapallar, Puchuncaví, Nogales, Calera, La Cruz, Quillota and Hijuelas.

[needs update] The commune is represented in the Senate by Ignacio Walker Prieto (PDC) and Lily Pérez San Martín (RN) as part of the 5th senatorial constituency (Valparaíso-Cordillera).