The first bathing spots were organized in Dubbeln, now known as Dubulti, which is the administrative center of the modern city. Another old part of Jūrmala, the former Shlok (now Sloka), received the status of a locality in 1785 and became an independent city in 1878. Kemmern, now Kemeri, became a state resort of the Russian Empire in 1838 due to the discovery of mud and mineral springs.

In the 19th century, following Dubbeln, other fishing villages in the territory of modern Jūrmala also began to transform into resorts. Their former German names differed from the modern ones: Lielupe was called Bullen, Buldures, Bilderinghof, Dzintari since 1907, Edinburgh-II (the village of Avoti, later merged with Dzintari, was called Edinburgh-I until 1964), Majori, Majorenghof, Dubulti, Dubbeln-I, Jaundubulti, Dubbeln-II, Pumpuri since 1914, Karlsbad-I, Melluzi since 1914, Karlsbad-II, Asari, Assern-I (in 1927 and 1938, Asari-I). In 1927, the Asari-II station was opened, renamed Vaiņi in 1938. Sloka was previously called Shlok, and Kemeri, Kemmern.

At the beginning of the development of resorts, communication with Riga was only by horse transport. A regular ferry line from Riga to Lielupe was opened in 1833, and the Riga-Dubulti railway line in 1843. This allowed for the opening of new bathing spots in 1848 in Dzintari, Majori, Melluzi, and Asari. The accessibility of these places significantly increased with the opening of the Riga-Tukums railway in 1877 and the highway from Riga in 1905.