Riley was first settled in 1855, when brothers selected land at the head of Wildcat Creek. Soon after, many other families began moving to the area and settling on large tracts of land to engage in agricultural production.

The school district was organized and classes were held on March 14, 1863.

The town was surveyed, and a plat was filed with the Riley County Register of Deeds on May 10, 1870. The town plat indicated that the name of the town was Union because it was platted from united land comprised of the claims of three settlers.

A new plat for the town was recorded with the Register of Deeds in July of 1887. The Rock Island Railroad Company, whose completion of tracks through town, named its station “Riley,” so it became the town’s official name. Another plat was later recorded in 1895, combining the plats of Union, Riley Center, and Riley to form the original town-site of the present-day City of Riley.

The city seeks to implement a multi-year plan to make itself a place where families want to come live, be part of the community, and grow steadily, while maintaining all of the great perks of small town living.