Royal Oak was named in 1819, during one of the surveying expeditions led by Territorial Governor Lewis Cass.

A large oak tree at this small settlement reminded Cass of the story of the Royal Oak, where King Charles II of England, Scotland and Ireland hid to escape capture by the Roundheads after the Battle of Worcester, so he chose that name for the settlement.

The present structure, at the corner of 11 Mile Road and Troy Street, is adjacent to the 44th District Court.

[5] In the 1920s, Father Charles Coughlin, a Canadian Catholic priest who relocated to Detroit, became the founding pastor of the Shrine of the Little Flower, now a prominent landmark in the city.

He initially supported President Franklin D. Roosevelt, then opposed him and promoted the causes of the fascist leaders of Germany and Italy.

The Roosevelt administration closed down his radio operation after the outbreak of World War II, with support from the Catholic hierarchy.

Coughlin had developed national political influence and had an increasingly anti-semitic message, at a time when Jewish people were being severely persecuted in Germany.

The downtown originally had a typical mixture of small-scale retail and trade to serve the city of Royal Oak.

A number of large condominiums and lofts have been built in the area, increasing the density of the downtown population.

In 2022, the Royal Oak City Commission approved the demolition of the historic Main Art Theater, once a symbol of moviegoers in the area.

In the 1930s, Vinsetta's entire median, along with the river and all but the tops of the bridges for the crossing streets[9] were filled in as part of a WPA project during the Great Depression.

Royal Oak has a below-average crime rate, similar to that of nearby middle-class communities, such as Berkley and Madison Heights.

[16] Royal Oak developed initially as a suburb after Detroit boomed as a major industrial city.

It had a compact, traditional street-side shopping district, which runs along Main Street and Washington Avenue downtown.

During the 2000s, this area was redeveloped with numerous new businesses, and is now considered a trendy, upscale, urban-chic district, featuring restaurants, shopping, and entertainment.

A number of mixed-use high-rise developments have been constructed — mostly condo "lofts" with retail and office space on the lower levels.

Points of interest include the Detroit Zoo, a major regional tourist attraction, the William Beaumont Hospital, the Royal Oak Music Theatre, the Baldwin Theatre, Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle, a location of Emagine Entertainment, and shops, cafes, and restaurants.

Gilda's Club Metro Detroit operates a three-story non-residential house in Royal Oak.

In December 2009 it was announced that the Arts, Beats and Eats festival would be moved from Pontiac to Royal Oak.

Later in 2014, Pope Francis granted the National Shrine of the Little Flower the honorary title of ‘Minor Basilica’.

In recent years Royal Oak has begun to consolidate its public schools in response to a decline in enrollment levels compared to the baby boom era.

A student video of the incident was widely shared on Facebook, attracting more than 4 million views within 24 hours.

Royal Oak has a full-time fire department that operates three stations strategically located around the city to minimize response time to incidents.

The ROFD staffs three engines, a ladder truck, and two ALS ambulances daily and is a member of the OAKWAY mutual aid consortium.