Founded in 1834 by Evan Shelby and William Franklin, St. Charles incorporated first as a town in 1853, and then as a city in 1874 ("Community Profile" 1). The area offered many amenities to sustain early settlers: sufficient water supply and fertile soils for crops, as well as building materials including gravel deposits, clay, timber, and limestone. By 1836, the Fox River supplied the energy for a sawmill, a carding mill, and a grist mill ("St. Charles Comp Plan" 1-3). The settlement was originally named the Village of Charleston by Shelby and Franklin, but changed the name in 1839 to St. Charles since another Illinois town had also been named "Charleston" (1-3).

St. Charles was one of the main roads between Chicago and the Mississippi River. This route, located approximately where Route 64 is today, had been one of the major Indian trails. Despite adverse conditions on these trails, many people and goods moved along these routes. By 1841, seven hotels were thriving from the many travelers who passed through St. Charles. Many were attracted to St. Charles and the Fox River Valley, and settled there ("St. Charles Comp Plan" 1-3). Railroads brought the opportunity for more reliable, year-round travel to much of the Fox Valley. However, in 1848, the citizens of St. Charles refused an offer by the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad to build a new rail line through their town. This line extended to Elgin in the north and to Batavia in the south. These lines had little impact on St. Charles’ economy ("St. Charles Comp Plan" 1-3).

After 1910, the City’s population grew very little until after the Great Depression, indicating that industrial growth was also small. Population growth and development increased in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Three major industrial developments added to the potential for continued economic growth: The Delnor Industrial Park (1960), the St. Charles Industrial Park (1964), and the Central Manufacturing District (1968). Rail service, interstate highways, and large urban markets nearby have enabled the economy of St. Charles to grow, but the Fox River has been the most important factor, by providing the energy for early industry and growth ("St. Charles Comp Plan" 1-4).

The urban form of St. Charles also has changed over time. St. Charles was a small cluster village in its infancy, from 1837-1856. With the exception of a four square mile area in 1856, little annexation occurred ("St. Charles Comp Plan" 1-6). The 1950’s saw increased annexation activity, including the acquisition of the Delnor Industrial Park, while the 1960’s saw the annexation of additional industrial land and Pheasant Run resort on the east side, and commercial development on the west side. The annexed acreage acquired in the 1960’s comprised more than one-third of City’s land area at that time ("St. Charles Comp Plan" 1-6). In the 1970’s, residential annexations abounded. The 1980’s were characterized by large-scale commercial development, which extended the city’s boundaries to the north, east, and west. In the 1990’s, St. Charles began to reach the physical limits to its growth, governed largely by neighboring municipal boundaries, physical terrain, and utility capacities. The two largest factors influencing the growth form of St. Charles today include utility availability and market demand ("St. Charles Comp Plan" 1-7).