To the average person, Colleyville appears to be no more than thirty years old. In reality, this land has boasted of families, businesses and community leaders for over 150 years; each generation living, laughing and loving its atmosphere of beauty and grace. As settlers moved into the Colleyville area in the mid 1800's, small communities sprang up, usually centered around a church, school or lodge. At one time, Colleyville was comprised of five separate communities. Over 100 years prior to its incorporation, one or more of these settlements was a prominent community center of the pre-Colleyville era. Although time has obscured many of the names and words of the original homesteaders, a commemorative marker on the south side of Highway 26 honors them.

In the 1880s, a man named Lilburn Howard Colley and his wife settled in the community. Their first home was located on 7.5 acres, near the intersection of Shelton Drive and Bransford Road. Colley served as the town's only doctor and involved himself in civic activities. The high regard in which the community held Dr. Colley was evidenced in his appointment, at least twice, to conduct the Pleasant Run School District's trustee elections. Many of Colleyville's earliest families testified that he had a significant influence on their lives. Dr. and Mrs. Colley spent the rest of their lives in the community now bearing their name.

"Colleyville" first applied to a small crossroads town on the main road between Fort Worth and Grapevine. Primarily known as a farming community, the region was recognized for cantaloupes, watermelons, tomatoes and squash. Incorporated as a village in January 1956, the city began with an area of less than two square miles and a population of roughly 250. During its formative years there was no municipal tax and all public funds came from utility franchise money and fund raisers. Dr. and Mrs. Colley's association and love for their city did not end with their namesake alone. They began a generation of individuals involved in and committed to bettering the land for their families and the future. Colleyville celebrates more than 40 years of incorporation with a population exceeding 19,000 and covering 12 square miles.