Known as "Ticonic" by English settlers, it was burned in 1692 during King William's War, after which the Canibas tribe abandoned the area.

Fort Halifax was built by General John Winslow in 1754, and the last skirmish with indigenous peoples occurred on May 18, 1757.

Early industries included fishing, lumbering, agriculture and ship building, with larger boats launched in spring during freshets.

[4] Ticonic Falls blocked navigation farther upriver, so Waterville developed as the terminus for trade and shipping.

It would become part of the Maine Central Railroad, which in 1870 established locomotive and car repair shops in the thriving mill town.

[5] The Ticonic Water Power & Manufacturing Company was formed in 1866 and soon built a dam across the Kennebec.

The iron Waterville-Winslow Footbridge opened in 1901, as a means for Waterville residents to commute to Winslow for work in the Hollingsworth & Whitney Co. and Wyandotte Worsted Co. mills, but in less than a year was carried away by the highest river level since 1832.

[6] In 1902, the Beaux-Arts style City Hall and Opera House designed by George Gilman Adams was dedicated.

It is bordered by Fairfield on the north in Somerset County, Winslow on the east, Sidney on the south and Oakland on the west.

[9] Waterville Pump Stn, Maine – Period of Record General Climate Summary – Temperature (1958 to 2012)[11] As of the census[13] of 2010, there were 15,722 people, 6,370 households, and 3,274 families living in the city.

Like many other towns in Maine and in the United States, Waterville has seen development in the suburbs and the decline of the downtown area.

Because of this growth, the existing and now-neighboring Elm Plaza shopping center has recently had its exterior renovated and filled most or all of its previous vacancies.

In contrast, the downtown area has had its share of hardships due to chain store growth in the city.

Stores that had a long history in the downtown area have closed in recent decades, including Levine's, Butlers, Sterns, Dunhams, Alvina and Delias, and LaVerdieres.

The large vacancy in The Concourse shopping center that once housed the Ames, Zayre department store, as well as Brooks Pharmacy is struggling to find tenants; as is the now vacant Main Street location of a CVS pharmacy (it moved to a brand new building on Kennedy Memorial Drive).

Colby College has built a new dormitory for students on Main Street, and the boutique Lockwood Hotel opened in August 2022.

[18] Developer Paul Boghossian has converted the old Hathaway Mill to retail, office, and residential use.

[20] Waterville's top employers include MaineGeneral Medical Center, Colby College, HealthReach Community Health Centers, Northern Light Inland Hospital, Hannaford Supermarket, Shaw's Supermarket, Wal-Mart, Mount St. Joseph Nursing Home, Kennebec Valley Community Action Program, Thomas College, City of Waterville, The Woodlands Residential Care, and Central Maine Newspapers.

[22] For some 40 years, the city had a "strong mayor" system in which the mayor enjoyed broad executive powers, including the power to veto measures passed by the city council and to line-item veto budget items passed by the council.

[23] In 2005, the charter was substantially revised, changing the city government to a "weak mayor" council-manager system.

[25] In 2018, Isgro faced a recall election after he made a Twitter post insulting a gun control activist present during the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida.

The recall effort was backed by former Mayor Karen Heck, a Democrat who had previously endorsed Isgro.

[35] Voter registration Waterville Public Schools provides the city primary and secondary education.

[41] The city is also home to Fox affiliate WPFO and Daystar rebroadcaster WFYW-LP, both serving the Portland market, and to several radio stations, including Colby's WMHB, country WEBB, and MPBN on 91.3 FM.