The first settlement in the region dates back to the Prehistoric Period, in around 3000 BC. The Hittites ruled the region in the 2000s BC, followed by the Phrygians in the 1200s BC. The region was conquered by the Romans in 74 BC. Following the division of the Roman Empire in 395, the region of Yalova remained under the sovereignty of the Byzantine Empire. In 1302, Yalova was incorporated into the territory of the Ottoman Empire. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk occasionally lived in Yalova in his final years. In one of his speeches he famously said: "Yalova is my city

The dock for passenger ferries to and from Istanbul’s is right in the center of town. The dock for car ferries (hizli feribot) to Yenikapi Feribot Terminali is a 10-minute walk eastward. There is also car and passenger ferry service to Pendik, on the Gulf of Izmit shore east of the Bosphorus.