The legendary Polynesian navigator Kupe landed at Komanga Point, 3 kilometres west of Titahi Bay, leaving an anchor stone which today can be seen at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.

The area was settled by Māori for many years before the arrival of Europeans, and several pa sites are located nearby.

The first European residents were whalers operating from Korohiwa, between Titahi Bay and Komanga Point.

During World War II, a camp housing US military personnel was built in Titahi Bay.

Titahi Bay is a beach break that can be surfed on all tides and is generally best during periods of onshore winds.

The surf breaks have a vast array of size and skill sets, from the Rocks (1.5–2 m) to the famous Locals (1-2m) to the Fishermans (inside 2-3m, outside 3-5m) mainly all from a northwesterly swell direction.

The fossilised remains of a forest from the Pleistocene era are located at Titahi Bay and form an intertidal reef.

[29] Many location shots in the 2007 Taika Waititi film Eagle vs Shark originated in Tītahi Bay.