Before European settlement, the land that is now Naperville was inhabited by Native American tribes, predominantly the Potawatomi, as well as the Sac and Fox nations. They lived along the banks of the DuPage River, utilizing the region's rich natural resources for hunting, fishing, and agriculture.
The city was founded in 1831 by Captain Joseph Naper, who arrived with his brother, John, and their families. Naper built a sawmill and a trading post, laying the foundation for what would become Naper's Settlement. In 1832, during the Black Hawk War, residents briefly fled to Fort Dearborn in Chicago, but soon returned to construct Fort Payne for their own defense. The settlement grew steadily as a stagecoach stop and agricultural center. It was officially incorporated as a village in 1857 and later as a city in 1890.
Naperville remained a relatively small, rural community until the mid-20th century. A massive population boom began in the 1960s and 1970s, spurred by the construction of the Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway (Interstate 88) and the expansion of the Chicago metropolitan area. The establishment of major corporate campuses, notably Bell Labs (later Lucent Technologies) and Amoco (later BP), transformed Naperville into a booming suburban employment center. Today, Naper Settlement, an outdoor history museum, preserves the city's pioneer past while the surrounding community continues to evolve as a modern, diverse economic hub.