The name 'To Kwa Wan' literally means 'Potato Bay', named for the sweet potatoes formerly grown here by local Hakka people. From the 19th century, a nearby granite quarry provided construction materials, including for the development of Kai Tak Airport.

At the time of the 1911 census, the population of To Kwa Wan was 1,072. The number of males was 766.

After World War II, light industrial units sprang up, making products such as toys and textiles. Housing rose concurrently with factory buildings, and in the 1970s the area's public housing estates were built to relieve pressure in other crowded areas of Kowloon.

Poor building standards and ageing have been highlighted by crumbling facades that have hurt or killed people in the area. The demolition of older flats has allowed developers to acquire land in To Kwa Wan to build newer and more profitable residential flats.

To Kwa Wan is a mixed residential and commercial area, located to the west of the old Kai Tak Airport.

It comprises mostly mid-20th century residential and light industrial architecture of 10 or fewer floors, built to comply with height restrictions for the former Kai Tak Airport. Since the airport closed in 1998, new buildings are taller, often with commercial space on the ground floor, especially along major roads such a Ma Tau Wai Road. Consequently, the area has a much-valued cohesive community spirit.

根據沙中線土瓜灣站的考古發掘，證實唐宋年間土瓜灣地區已經有村落和墟鎮。土瓜灣村早於1819年《新安縣志》已經有記載，是爲數不多的九龍半島古村落之一。1860年簽訂之《北京條約》中，土瓜灣被稱爲"土家灣"。

1873年，土瓜灣與紅磡、鶴園創立紅磡三約，在今日差館里附近合資興建觀音廟，並於1902年成立「紅磡三約公所」。 至1920年代，土瓜灣村落隨市區的擴展而消失，同一時期拆卸的還有附近九龍寨的馬頭圍、馬頭角和二王殿村等。 二次大戰之後的1960-70年代，九龍城區的土瓜灣更被發展成為一個工業區。土瓜灣設有英泥廠、製衣廠、船廠，以至電池廠、塑膠花廠等。其中香港元興電機織染廠就是其中一例，另外是製造燈塔牌手電筒的香港捷和製造廠（1947）有限公司、專業漂染各種布匹的禎昌染布廠、製造火水燈的立泰製造廠有限公司和製造機器的新聯機器廠等等。不過隨著工廠北移中國，昔日的工廠已經陸續清拆重建。

自1998年啟德機場關閉後，有不少新私人屋苑在土瓜灣落成，也有不少工業租戶陸續遷往九龍東之新蒲崗、九龍灣、觀塘和油塘等。不過近年不停重建下，不少老街坊被迫搬走，老店亦難敵昂貴租金而結業。近年區內亦多了不少港澳個人遊旅客，出現多間金舖及藥房。

土瓜灣名稱的由來，有三種不同說法。

其一，是土瓜灣舊日的海灣之中，「海心島」的形狀像土瓜（即番薯）而得名。

其二，是土瓜灣村之村民曾大量種植土瓜， 並供奉給1277年逃至九龍城一帶官富場的宋端宗趙昰享用而得名。

其三，是因爲土瓜灣村本身是為數不多的九龍半島原住民古村落之一，爲了有別於後來才遷入香港的客家人建立的客家圍村「客家村」，所以稱為「土家村」，所在海灣便稱為「土家灣」。

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香港任我行

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