Cartigny is first mentioned in 1220, when the Counts of Geneva granted the priory of Saint-Victor the power to defend Champagne against the House of Savoy.
The priors owned a castle in the village. During the Reformation, Cartigny became part of the Seigneurie of Geneva.
After struggles with Savoyard rule, the Treaty of Turin in 1754 ended their influence. Cartigny became Swiss in 1815 with Geneva's entry into the Confederation.
The commune adopted the coat of arms of François Bonivard.
Cartigny is listed on the Swiss Federal Inventory of Heritage Sites as a site of national importance.