During the 16th century, inhabitants of the city of Santa Fe settled also at the other side of the Paraná River. Known as de la otra Banda del Parana ("from the other side of the Paraná") and Baxada del Paraná ("Ford of the Parana"), the settlement never had an official foundation, and it slowly grew as a satellite town of Santa Fe.
On October 23, 1730 the local chapel was granted by the clerical authorities in Buenos Aires the status of parish church; that date was adopted as the beginning of the official history of the town.
In 1813 it achieved status of village, and in 1822 it was named capital of the territory of the present province. Between 1854 and 1861 it was the capital of the Confederación Argentina ("Argentine Confederation") during the rule of the local caudillo Justo José de Urquiza, that gave the city a rapid growth. In 1883 it regained its title of capital of the province.
In 1994 Paraná hosted the Convención Reformadora de la Constitución Nacional Argentina ("Convention for the reform of the National Constitution"), together with its neighbour capital of Santa Fe
