In 807, Rüti's quarter Fägswil was first mentioned in a document of the Abbey of Saint Gall.

In 1206 the Rüti Monastery was given by Lütold IV, Duke of Regensberg, and the present building that is now the Reformed church was completed in 1283.

In 1408 Rüti and the Premonstratensian monastery came as part of the so-called Herrschaft Grüningen under the reign of the government of the city of Zürich.

Of the rest of the land, 26.9% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (1.4%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).

It grew up around the Rüti Monastery, which was built at the bridge along the pilgrimage route through the Thurgau to Einsiedeln Abbey.

Beginning in the Middle Ages, its hydropower was used for watermills along the Jona, later for textile production facilities.

In the early 19th century, Rüti was one of the centers of the industrialization in the southeastern parts of the canton of Zürich.

In 1847, Caspar Honegger, a factory for weaving machines, was established in the Joweid valley (river Jona), later Maschinenfabrik Rüti AG with its global relations, and in the 1990s of Sulzer and the G + F group.

A collection of weaving machines produced by this company is now housed in a museum in nearby Neuthal.

Today, the recruitment center of the Swiss Army and civil defense for the cantons of Zürich, Schaffhausen and Thurgau, is located in the former hospital buildings.

On cultural matters, in Rüti a variety of clubs, a local museum, a library with community and an antiquarian society are located.

In Rüti, Zürich, efforts are being made to promote sustainable construction and efficient use of resources.

A notable example is the "Generationenhaus," which utilizes regional, eco-friendly materials and is designed to be deconstructed with minimal environmental impact after 200 years.