Horb was first documented as a town in 1228, and the first references to a mayor ("Schultheiß") and a market are to be found in 1244 and 1277, respectively. Until 1305, Horb belonged to the counts palatine of Tübingen, and later to the counts of Hohenberg. In 1381, Horb came into the possession of Austria (Further Austria) and served as an administrative seat for the local Vogt. Later, in 1806, Horb became part of the Kingdom of Württemberg, and a year it was made into an administrative center, "Oberamt Horb". Its borders had changed several times in the following years, and in 1938 it was reorganized as a rural district, "Landkreis Horb".