Johnston was established in 1905 as a station on the interurban railway betweenDes Moines and Perry known as Johnston Station. It was named for the railway’s freight supervisor, John F. Johnston. Voters passed a resolution to incorporate on June 23rd, 1969. On September 8th the first Mayor and Council were sworn in. Incorporation papers were signed by the Clerk of the District Court on December 11, 1969. At the time, the Johnston Station area did not become part of the incorporated city because of a state law that prevented a town within three miles (5 km) of another city from incorporating. The neighboring cities of Des Moines and Urbandale were also interested in that land, but in April 1970, Johnston and Urbandale reached an agreement that allowed Johnston to annex the Johnston Station area.