Cambridge began as a composite city in 1973, when the City of Galt, Towns of Preston and Hespeler, and the hamlet of Blair were blended. Each unique center has its own history that is well documented in the Cambridge City Archives.

The first mayor of Cambridge was the youngest mayor in Canada. Claudette Millar was one of the few female mayors.

As Cambridge has developed and the open spaces between the original municipalities have been filled in, a fourth commercial core has emerged. The Macdonald-Cartier Freeway Highway 401 runs through its midst.