Tampa mayor Bill Poe conceived the idea of a park and walkway behind Curtis Hixon Hall, a civic center along the Hillsborough River that was one of the few public spaces in the area.

[4] The city built a short stretch of boardwalk on the east side of the river behind the Hall, but a lack of funds to buy adjoining properties and subsequent mayors' disinterest in the project paused further construction.

[8] In 2014, a federal transportation grant was used to complete a $9.2 million boardwalk under the Kennedy Boulevard bridge, connecting all existing segments into one continuous path about two miles long.

A further northward extension completed in 2016 stretched the path past the Straz Center for the Performing Arts and under Interstate 275 to newly opened Waterworks Park in the adjoining neighborhood of Tampa Heights, bringing the total length of the Riverwalk to 2.6 miles (4.2 km).

In addition, the TECO Line Streetcar runs parallel to the Riverwalk along the Garrison Channel and provides a connection to the interior of downtown and the nearby historic neighborhood of Ybor City.

[9] In recent years, the city has installed a color-changing LED lighting system along portions of the Riverwalk to add nighttime color to the path and nearby bridges.