The prevalent architectural sites of the city, including its bridges, has led numerous scholars to campaign its inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

One of the popular theories for the origin of the name Tayabas is that it comes from the word ''bayabas'' (guava), but the said fruit is not native to the Philippines.

Prior to the occupation, however, the native Tayabenses lived in rural settlements (barangay) typical of those times, headed by chiefs and a council of elders.

Its Minor Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel, which was enlarged in the mid-1850s, is the longest church in the country and is a lasting testament to its glorious and historic past.

In the book The Philippines, written by French traveler Jean Baptiste Mallat, and published in 1846, it appears that Tayabas had more than 21,000 people at that time.

Casa Comunidad, a centuries-old building, is the place where Apolinario "Hermano Pule" Dela Cruz was tried and sentenced to death in 1841.

During the Philippine Revolution, a Spanish garrison occupying the massive church and convent buildings was besieged by Miguel Malvar's forces.

Tayabas features numerous Spanish-era bridges which mirror its rich architectural past and serve as crucial connections to the city.

It again suffered a terrible blow near the end of World War II when it was completely burned to the ground after a bombing raid on 15 March 1945.

The local resistance continued their efforts to fight the Japanese all the way to when American Liberation forces and the Philippine Commonwealth troops finally secured the area.

On December 22, 2009, the cityhood law of Tayabas and 15 other municipalities regain its status as cities again after the court reversed its ruling on November 18, 2008.

Finally, on February 15, 2011, Tayabas becomes a city again including the 15 municipalities declaring that the conversion to cityhood met all legal requirements.

[27][28] The pabitin, which are tied with suman and other summer fruits like banana, pineapple, buko, and mango, will be emptied as soon as the image of San Isidro Labrador passes by.

To ease the traffic situation in Tayabas, the San Miguel Corporation will build a 66.74 km extension of South Luzon Expressway, also known as SLEX-TR4.