The beginnings of the town of Havířov bear on construction of mining settlements in cadastral territories Šumbark, Dolní Bludovice, Prostřední Suchá and a part of Šenov. The name of the town was chosen in a public tender from even incredible and breakneck proposals (for example Bezručov, Čurdov, Faratín, Lidobudovatelov, Budovatelnice, Budosociokolektivov, Rudohvězdov, Stalin, Gottwaldův Horníkov, Zápotockýgrad, Všemírov, šťastnov, Bezručovy Novoměstské Baně etc.)

Administratively Havířov became a town by virtue of the appropriate decree of the Czech Government in 1955, and on December 4th, 1955 it also gained city rights.

Within Ostrava agglomeration borders Havířov keeps reputation of a town with superior housing and, in comparison with other towns in this region, clean environment and very good recreational hinterland.
Havířov is divided into 8 town quarters : Město, Životice, Bludovice, Podlesí, Šumbark, Dolní Suchá, Prostřední Suchá and Dolní Datyně. On January 1st,2002 the town had 85 469 inhabitants.

Historical sources in the area of present-day Havířov allude to Šenov already in 1305 (šonov, Schonhof, Szonów) as well as to Horní and DolníSuchá, the first reliable evidence about Bludovice comes from 1335. In 1438 Šumbark is first mentioned, it was supposedly found in the 14th century, too. In the middle of the 16th century they wrote about Šumbark as a town, but it was not documented whether Šumbark could use city rights