Roundhay's name derives from Old French rond 'round' and the Old English word (ge)hæg 'enclosure', denoting a round hunting enclosure or deer park.

Roundhay was historically a township and chapelry[5] in the ancient parish of Barwick in Elmet, except for a small area in the east around Roundhay Grange (originally a grange of Kirkstall Abbey), which was a detached part of the township of Shadwell in the parish of Thorner.

[6] Roundhay was a hamlet until 1803 when the park estate was bought by Thomas Nicholson who started a programme of landscaping and built the Mansion House.

[7][8] After the road was built the population increased from 84 in 1801 to 186 in 1822, mainly in grand houses for wealthier citizens of Leeds.

[7] This made the area more attractive, the population rose to 300 in the 1830s in the form of a "township and genteel village" with "elegant villas, walks and plantations".

On 14 October 1888, Louis le Prince recorded his short film Roundhay Garden Scene, in the garden of Oakwood Grange, the home of his parents-in-law, Joseph and Sarah Whitley, (the parents of John Robinson Whitley).

[2] In June 1907, an open-air swimming pool or 'lido' opened, at a cost of just over £1,600, built mainly by unemployed citizens.

After the Second World War housing filled available spaces, with smaller residences built in the grounds of larger ones, and large converted to flats.

[2] In 1811, John Clarke (died 1857) of York, architect of the Commercial Buildings in Leeds city centre, was commissioned by Thomas Nicholson to design the Mansion House.

[19] Scottish architect George Corson designed a large wing known today as Corson House at Roundhay's Beechwood Estate[20] and in 1873, he won a competition to design a number of substantial villas along Park Avenue, "the jewel in Leed's crown", and West Avenue on the fringe of Roundhay Park.

The villas were built on plots of an acre or more with separate coach houses, stables and servants' quarters at the back so as not to be seen from the park.

Woodlands Hall (known originally as Roundhay Mount and later as Carr Head), Parc Mont and several other mansions along Park Avenue are architecturally significant.

The Park late had an aerodrome with one of the earliest air passenger services comprising regular flights every half hour to Bradford.

The park has hosted numerous outdoor concerts including Michael Jackson, The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, U2, Robbie Williams and Ed Sheeran.

The area is served by First West Yorkshire circular services 2 (via Chapel Allerton) and 12 (via Harehills) from Leeds city centre.

Thomas Davis, a Church of England hymn-writer, was Vicar of Roundhay in the mid 19th century.