The first European settlement in what is today Bainbridge was a trading post set up by James Burges in the late 18th century.

[7]: 120  The town was named after U.S. Navy Commodore William Bainbridge,[8] commander of the USS Constitution ("Old Ironsides"), and was incorporated on December 22, 1829.

At the junction of the two rivers, the Jim Woodruff Dam forms Lake Seminole.

A system of locks at the dam allows barge traffic to travel between the inland port at Bainbridge and the Gulf of Mexico.

It was announced in December 2019 that Brazil-based gun manufacturer Taurus had been granted a $39 million tax-incentive package to move from the Miami, Florida area to Bainbridge in return for creating 300 jobs.

[5] The Decatur County Courthouse was constructed in 1902, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Decatur County Industrial Air Park, located 6 miles (10 km) northwest of the city, provides general aviation service to the community.