The City of Thuringowa  was a city (Local Government Area) in North Queensland, Australia with a population of About 70,164 people and covered the northern and western parts of the urban area usually referred to locally as "the Twin Cities". Prior to its proclamation as a city on 1 January 1986, Thuringowa was a very large rural shire, that almost surrounded the then city of Townsville. Thuringowa was named after the German region of Thuringia, where the shire's first chairman, John von Stieglitz originated. 

Thuringowa CBD was situated at latitude and longitude of 19°19′04S 146°44′32E.

Thuringowa was not as often assumed, part of Townsville and had a separate identity, history and rateable area.

Thuringowa Council were trying to educate residents on the difference between the two cities, because when people move from Townsville or elsewhere  to Thuringowa, some people didn't realise that it was a different city with different laws and rates etc.

What was the Thuringowa City Council started as the Thuringowa Divisional Board in 1879.

Prior to European settlement, the Nyawaygi Aboriginal people lived in the area around Thuringowa, Townsville and the Burdekin. The earliest European on record to live in Thuringowa was James Morrill, whose boat washed ashore in 1846. 

In 1860 the newly formed Queensland Government passed an act opening up the area to pastoral leases, and by 1861 there were many Stock runs in Thuringowa. By 1865, Robert Towns and John Melton Black had purchased a number of properties throughout Thuringowa and In 1865 Robert Towns built a boiling down works - at the time, there was no facilities for shipping cattle or sheep, so in 1865 Andrew Ball and Mark Reid left Woodstock Station to find a harbour around the Cleveland Bay shores and this is when the Town and port of Townsville was established at the mouth of Ross Creek.

In 1879, the Division was formed and considerable progress ensued over the following decades - by 1902, Thuringowa had 1,020 dwellings listed on its ratebooks. Early chairmen Arthur Bundock and Joseph Hodel were involved in construction of key architecture such as the Ross River Bridge, the bridge at the Causeway and the Stuart Creek Bridge. These roads and bridges were constructed to serve not only Thuringowa's rural base but also Thuringowa's residential subdivisions of Hermit Park, Mundingburra and Rosslea. Water reticulation and sanitary services were established in these suburbs and street lighting and beautification work was carried out along Charters Towers Road. Also during this period the Council's first administration building was constructed at the Causeway, near the intersection of Flinders Street West and Ingham Road, which later became part of Townsville. 

Under the 1902 Local Authorities Act, divisional areas were renamed shires, and on 31 March 1903, Thuringowa Shire Council came into being. The period up to 1918 was one of consolidation and minor works, not major projects.

In 1918, much of Thuringowa's urban area was transferred to Townsville. This initially caused great hardship for the Shire, as its rate base had been reduced to 2,500 ratepayers and its council headquarters was based outside the shire. The Council adopted a conservative approach to policy during this period that included not only the depression years of the 1930s but also during World War II, when the area became an important staging point and was host to significant numbers of military personnel.

From the 1960s onwards, significant suburban development and growth took place in the area and Council business was preoccupied with providing new facilities and infrastructure. In 1979, a new Shire administration centre was constructed, moving it back into Thuringowa, and on 1 January 1986, the Shire became a City.

As of March 15th 2008, after 162 years, Thuringowa as a city ceased to exist, under the controversial council amalgamation program, this seen the Cities of Thuringowa and Townsville merged into the "New City of Townsville" and form a new super council as part of the Queensland Government's  review of councils and boundaries. However it seemed that Thuringowa may remain as a community, some what like the planned satellite city of Rockysprings in Townsville. However due to the former Townsville Council debt, this wasn't possible.

The amalgamation process was being coordinated under the local transition Committee, the transition was completed on the election night, When the former mayor of Thuringowa, Les Tyrell, became the new Mayor of Townsville.

Thuringowa Celebrated its 129th birthday in 2008.