The foundation date of the town, however, is acknowledged as June 13, 1924; the municipality was created soon afterwards, and Tartagal attained city status only on September 22, 1949.

YPF was founded by Hipólito Yrigoyen in the 1922, and later privatized in 1992,[2] was highly valued during the governmental terms of Juan Domingo Perón between the 40s and 50s.

[4][5] On February 9, 2009, heavy rains caused the Tartagal River to break its banks and flood much of the city, resulting in 11 casualties.

There are seven aboriginal ethnic groups that reside in Tartagal: wichís (or weenhayek), chiriguanos, chanés, quechuas, chorotes, chulupíes and Aymaras.

Tartagal was the main destination of immigration of the peasant-livestock population of the east (commonly known as "Chaco") that settled, like the Aboriginals, in neighborhoods surrounding the city.

It also has important foreign communities including: Christian Levantines (of Syrian-Lebanese origin), Greeks (with a Cypriot branch), Irish people, Paraguayans and Spaniards.