Tychy was established as an agricultural settlement in the vicinity of the trade route connecting Oświęcim and Mikołów. The first mention of Tychy in historical documents dates back to the year 1467. In 17th century it was one of the most affluent villages of the Pszczyna county. Established in 1629, the Książęcy Brewery was in operation here, crops of hop and barley were grown, craftsmanship and industry developed. An independent forestry office operated in the Promnice palace erected in mid 17th century. Until mid 19th century Tychy was owned by consecutive feudal masters who were in charge of the so-called Pszczyna class state. In 1870 the first railroad was built connecting Tychy with Katowice and Szopienice.

It was in Tychy, on the night of 17th August 1919, that the first Silesian Uprising broke out and ended in capturing the village by the uprisers. During the Plebiscite the majority of the citizens voted for Polish membership. It was then that Tychy started growing to be gradually transformed into an urban settlement. Between WW I and WW II, as part of the autonomous Silesian Province, the population of Tychy grew to reach 11 thousand citizens. During that time several facilities were established, including a hospital, a fire station, a post office, a shool, a swimming pool, a bowling hall and a number of shops and restaurants. On 1st January 1934 Tychy received its municipal rights. The war activity of 1939 caused little damage as most of the fighting took place on the Mikołów-Wyry line. Due to the war activity and extermination 500 thousand Tychy citizens were killed.

The beginning of the after-war history of the city goes back to 4th October 1950 when the Government Executives made a decision to build the so-called Nowe Tychy (New Tychy). A year later the city received its Civic Rights. The first housing estate was designed by Tadeusz Teodorowicz-Todorowski and the following ones by Kazimierz Wejchert and Hanna Adamczewska Wejchert. The city's growth was part of the government plan to secure housing facilities for the Upper Silesian Industrial District. Tychy was to become the first and largest city in the satellite system of the Silesian conurbation. Tychy developed rapidly to host a number of important investment projects including industrial venues which, in turn, changed its status from a housing settlement to an independent urban centre.