Big Bend is a village in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States.

Big Bend was named by indigenous peoples for the change of direction in the Fox River.

The town is situated beside a portion of the river where it changes course from east to south, hence the name "Big Bend".

Big Bend Elementary School,[10] within the village limits, serves grades K-6.

[11] In the late 1860s, Waukesha County was known as the “Saratoga of the West” due to plentiful, clean, and pure springs.

At a time when many major municipal water supplies were tainted, the springs of Waukesha County were believed to have healing properties.

[12] During the early 1890s, local entrepreneur James M McElroy hatched a plan to pipe water from the Hygeia Spring, located in the Town of Waukesha, more than 100 miles to the Columbian Exposition in Chicago.

McElroy was to receive 8.5 cents per gallon, after commission, for shipping the water from Waukesha to Chicago.

After this mishap, McElroy purchased a spring outside of the Town of Waukesha in what is now the Village of Big Bend.

McElroy did build his 100-mile pipe to Chicago, but once the water reached the exhibition, it was said to be stale and tasteless.