Joseph Naper (1798-1862) was an early Illinois pioneer, ship captain, shipbuilder, businessman, surveyor, state militia officer, soldier, politician, and city planner. In 1831, Naper and his brother John founded Naper's Settlement by the banks of the DuPage River. By 1832, over 100 residents lived in Naper's Settlement, which would later be renamed Naperville and become the first county seat of DuPage County, Illinois.

The Potawatomi are part of a long-term alliance, called the Council of Three Fires, with the Ojibway and Odawa. In the Council of Three Fires, the Potawatomi are considered the "youngest brother" and are referred to as Bodwéwadmi, a name that means "keepers of the fire." The Potawatomi were forcibly removed from their land after the Treaty of Chicago in 1833 and sent west of the Mississippi River during Indian Removal.

In December 2021, Naperville unveiled the World's Largest Reindeer, which stood about 40 feet tall and had a glowing ruby red nose. The attraction was part of a family friendly drive-thru Christmas lights experience, but it was so big that it could be seen looking down on drivers on I-88 near Naperville Road.

Naperville has an area of 39.323 square miles (101.85 km²), of which 38.77 square miles (100.41 km²) (or 98.59%) is land and 0.553 square miles (1.43 km²) (or 1.41%) is water.

Sean Payton was a quarterback at Naperville Central High School before coaching the New Orleans Saints to their first Super Bowl championship in franchise history.

Following the news of the Indian Creek massacre during the Black Hawk War, the residents of Naper's Settlement were evacuated to Fort Dearborn in anticipation of an attack by the Sauk tribe. The settlers returned after Fort Payne was built to protect them, and the attack never materialized.

The original Pre-Emption House, built in 1834, stood at the center of Naperville as the first hotel and tavern west of Chicago. It was named after a federal law that allowed settlers to reserve up to 160 acres. A steady stream of easterners journeyed west to claim land, and the Pre-Emption House offered them a shot of whiskey, a bed for the night and breakfast, plus feed and stabling for their horse--all for just 35 cents.

In July 1996, Naperville got 14 inches of rain in less than 24 hours, prompting the New York Times to run a story titled: "Rain of Biblical Proportions Pours Out of Midwest Skies." DuPage county was declared a disaster zone, and the estimated damages were over $30 million.

The Century Walk Corporation, founded in 1996, is a nonprofit organization that commissions sculptures, murals, and mosaics to be placed throughout the city. As of February 2021, the organization has placed 51 statues, including a 9-foot tall statue of comic strip detective Dick Tracy in front of the Naperville Township building.

The first church was organized in 1833 by members of the East Branch Settlement. Although Presbyterian when founded, the members changed their affiliation to Congregational one year later. The Evangelical Church, established in 1837, held services in private homes until a church was built later that year. The Baptist Church was organized in 1843. By 1846, Sts. Peter & Paul Parish was started as a mission.