The Romans conquered Galicia in the 2nd Century BC. At that time, the name of La Coruna was Brigantium, and the Romans used it for trade with England, France and Portugal. The population was small and made its living from fishing. The lighthouse was built in the 1st or the 2nd Century AD. There are no records of the period following the Roman presence. The Arabs attempted an invasion in the 8th Century but met with fierce resistance. In the late 12th Century, Alfonso X the Wise granted the city the privilege to be a salt port free of taxes on unloading and selling.

Sea trade and agriculture were responsible for the city's gradual growth, and it was chartered in 1446. Under the Catholic Kings, merchants and seafarers continued to enjoy tax exemption. Carlos I granted the city the privilege to hold a market on Saturdays, and established the Royal Contract House for spices. The English fleet under Sir Francis Drake attacked La Coruna in 1589,  burning a monastery and an area called the Pescaderia. In the 17th Century the privileges came to an end, and the monarchy imposed heavy taxes and military service to raise resources for the never-ending wars. Luckily, the city was spared from attacks during the War of the Spanish Succession in the early 18th century.

 In 1778, La Coruna was among the 13 Spanish ports that were authorized to trade with America. Sea trade remained the most profitable activity way into the 19th Century. Meanwhile, the population grew, communications with other cities were improved, public squares were built and public lighting was installed. A tobacco factory was opened, textiles and rope production developed. By the end of the 19th Century, two refineries were functioning, and several banks were opened. The city's architecture was marked by avant-garde tendencies at the beginning of the 20th Century, but they disappeared under Franco and were only revived in the 1960s.