Located in the Chicago metropolitan area, it was founded in 1833 and is the oldest city in Kane County.

Batavia is part of a vernacular region known as the Tri-City area, along with St. Charles and Geneva, all western suburbs of similar size and relative socioeconomic condition.

Originally called Big Woods for the wild growth throughout the settlement, the town was renamed by local judge and former Congressman Isaac Wilson in 1840 after his former home of Batavia, New York, which was in turn named after the Batavian Republic, a short-lived republic that existed from 1795 to 1806 in the present-day Netherlands.

Batavia's settlement was delayed one year by the Black Hawk War, in which Abraham Lincoln was a citizen soldier, and Zachary Taylor and Jefferson Davis were Army officers.

[9] Although there is no direct evidence that Lincoln, Taylor, or Davis visited the future site of Batavia, there are writings by Lincoln that refer to "Head of the Big Woods", Batavia's original name.

[10] After the death of her husband, Mary Todd Lincoln was an involuntary resident of the Batavia Institute on May 20, 1875.

[12] In the late 19th century, Batavia was a major manufacturer of the Conestoga wagons used in the country's westward expansion.

[14][15] Many of the limestone buildings of these factories remain in use as government and commercial offices, and storefronts.

The Aurora Elgin and Chicago Railway constructed a power plant in southern Batavia and added a branch to the city in 1902.

[25] Batavia is a part of Illinois' 11th Congressional District, represented by Democrat Bill Foster.

From 2013 to 2023, it was part of the 14th Congressional District, which was represented by Randy Hultgren and later Lauren Underwood.

Linda Holmes, Karina Villa, Barbara Hernandez, Matt Hanson, and Maura Hirschauer—all Democrats—represent parts of Batavia in the Illinois General Assembly.