Ord Mantell's position near the junction of two hyperlanes, the Celanon Spur and the Entralla Route, made it a key location for Galactic Republic strategists some 12,000 years ago. Colonizing the world as a regional ordnance depot, the Old Republic appended the prefix "Ord" to the original name "Mantell." The planet served as a resupply point for Republic ships traveling from the Mid-Rim to the Expansion regions beyond. Although most urbanization occurred near newly established starports in Ord Mantell's equatorial plains, mining sites were also developed in the planet's mountainous regions. While the latter were productive for several centuries, infrastructure often had to be abandoned or moved due to heavy seismic activity caused by Ord Mantell's three nearby moons.

In the following centuries, the planet became heavily industrialized to support that role. While this was a boon to the planet's economy, most production sites at the time used fossil fuels, which heavily polluted Ord Mantell's atmosphere. As greenhouse gasses accumulated, average temperatures rose and the polar icecaps lost most of their mass. To this day, the planet's clouds are noted for the pronounced pink tinge visible when viewed from the surface and attract nearly a billion tourists to the planet each year. As the Republic grew less militaristic, Ord Mantell's military significance was eclipsed by its role as a center for commerce and tourism. Relaxed banking regulations and the planet's minimalist approach to commercial regulation soon cemented this status. As demand for industrial production waned, abandoned sites attracted extralegal enterprises as a haven from Republic tariffs and other unwanted entanglements. it was during this time that smugglers established Burke's Trailing as a hyper route from Ord Mantell to Jedha.

Today, Ord Mantell is home to a bustling tourism industry. Shuttles regularly ferry guests from the orbiting Jubilee Wheel space station to the planet below. The capital city, Worlport, has many casinos and hosts seasonal "sky viewings" each spring to offer visitors an optimal view of the planet's pink-tinged clouds at their fullest. In addition to a variety of table games, gamblers can also bet on the annual Blockade Runners Derby, flown amid the comets surrounding the planet. Those who prefer a more secure return for their credits can find a wide variety of food and drink suitable to any species.

The native Mantellian Savrips attract hunters from across the galaxy, although this practice is controversial. While the species is pre-technological and highly aggressive, Savrips-rights activists argue that the Savrips are in fact sentient, sometimes going so far as to boycott holotable producers who continue to include them among the pieces displayed for dejarik games.