Some hunters from the neighboring towns considered San Jose to be a good place for settlers due to its wide and uncleared agricultural land.

[5] Originally, San Jose was a part of the town of Puncan, but later on, because of its nearness to Lupao, it was made a barrio of the latter.

Formerly, San Jose was known as the barrio of “Kabaritan” derived from barit, an Ilocano word for a plant that belongs to the rattan family.

[5][6] On March 19, 1894, San Jose became a full-fledged town, with an interim government headed by a Capitan Municipal.

Several years before the Philippine Revolution, the Ilocanos from Ilocos Region and some parts of Nueva Ecija, especially the towns of Santo Domingo, Muñoz and Lupao, as well as Pangasinenses of Pangasinan and northern Tarlac, Tagalogs (including Batangueños) and Kapampangans, settled into the forest of Kabaritan, and cleared its wilderness.

This was due to the establishment of various schools, churches, public buildings and the construction of roads and bridges, which made possible the fast progress of the town.

The second appointed Capitan Municipal during the military government (1900–1901) was Celestino Javalde who continued the opening of new settlements and the construction of roads in the poblacion.

In 1928–1931, Apolonio Pascual and Vice-president Victorino Villar were instrumental in putting up the fourth building for the public market and the municipal dispensary.

Eugenio was called the road-building President of San Jose because of his efforts in the construction of many roads especially leading to the barrios of Bagong Bayan, Porais, Tondod, and Andres Bonifacio.

Changes in the set-up in 1935 upon the establishment of the Philippine Commonwealth marked the transition of the heads of the municipal government to be known as the Alcalde and Vice-Alcalde.

Alcalde Pedro Del Pilar and Vice-Alcalde Severino Bautista, under the Commonwealth government, established NARIC (National Rice and Corn) buying stations in the town.

[7] Upon the outbreak of World War II on December 8, 1941, San Jose became an evacuation center for refugees from neighboring provinces especially those from Manila and its suburbs.

The terror-stricken populace, who suffered heavy casualties, fled to the remotest barrios of San Jose.

The emergency government existed for a short time, due to the arrival of the Japanese Imperial Forces on January 26, 1942.

An emergency government, under the control of the Japanese Imperial Forces, was likewise established in Porais with Matias Bautista as Mayor.

During the liberation, Anselmo Patacsil, Pedro Del Pilar and Basilio Duran were appointed in succession as Mayors by the PCAU (Philippine Civil Affairs Unit).

[7] Among their achievements were the maintenance of evacuees, pacification campaign, rehabilitation of devastated government building, the establishment of a fire department and a municipal library and the improvement of roads.

In 1954, the barrios of Bagumbayan (townsite), Andres Bonifacio, Caridad, San Mauricio (portion), Parang Manga (portion), Santa Barbara, Floridablanca, Gomez, San Francisco, and Victoria were separated to form the town of Llanera along with some territory from Talavera and Rizal.

The estimated elevation at these coordinates is approximately 109.9 meters[citation needed] or 360.4 feet above mean sea level.

The majority language used is Tagalog, more than 72 percent of the population speak it as their native tongue, followed by Ilocano, Kapampangan, and Pangasinense.

Meanwhile, several other solar energy projects was put up in the city including the 10 MW SJC SolarPower Corporation project and another 10 MW solar power project by V-Mars Solar Energy Corporation which was recently acquired by Yuchengco group's PetroGreen Energy Corp. San Jose City serves as another shopping hub, besides Cabanatuan, in the province and other nearby localities and provinces like Pangasinan and Nueva Viscaya.

In terms of future developments, the Philippines' major mall chains SM, Robinsons, and CityMall all have expressed plans to build branches in the city.

The after-harvest celebration has become a multi-sectoral effort, collectively prepared, funded out of contributions (from the public and private sector), and participated in by all sections of the city.

[36] Major bus companies from Metro Manila ply the route going to San Jose City along the Pan-Philippine Highway.

Baliwag Transit, Inc. has terminal in Pasay and Cubao, Quezon City has buses that travel specifically to and from Nueva Ecija.

The expressway will shorten the usual travel time between the neighboring provinces and San Jose City also stimulating the economy of the towns that the carriageway will pass through as a direct consequence.

Niño 1st and 2nd, Malasin, Manicla and Kita-kita; and ends at San Jose-Lupao Road, serving as an easier access going to Tarlac and Umingan, Pangasinan.