​The land in Hoover lies above the Cahaba Coal Fields. The first attempt to mine the coal was made In 1853. The Confederate government's increased need for coal during the Civil War accelerated the development of the coal mines, and the construction of the L & N Railroad at Brocks Gap in the western section of Hoover In 1869, extended the market for coal.

​As the population in the area increased, houses for worship and schooling were needed. A one-room log cabin was built in 1854 for Presbyterian worship and school in Rocky Ridge. A Methodist church and a school with adjoining cemetery in the Patton Chapel area were built in1866.

In 1964, the first attempt to incorporate the residential developments of Hoover and Green Valley as the town of Hoover failed. Another petition was filed  and accepted.  On April 28, 1967, Hoover was officially incorporated with 406 residing inhabitants. By 1989, the boundaries of the city had extended west. ​

The new area included Bluff Park, the Trace Crossings industrial complex, the Hoover Metropolitan Stadium and other residential areas along South Shades Crest Road. Three years later in 1992, the boundaries had extended east to include the commercial and residential areas of Inverness and Greystone.