[3] During the Middle Ages, Bodio and the now abandoned village of Simbra (or Saimola) formed a Degagna in the Giornico area.

During the reign of the cathedral of Milan over the three Ambrosian Valleys, in May and November the placita della Leventina meetings were held in Bodio.

Until the middle of the 19th century, most of the emigrants went to Italy, with the exception of Glaser and Ofensetzer families, who mostly went to France.

In 1876, a fifth of the former population (then 400 inhabitants) lived in the United States, primarily in California and Nevada.

[3] The transformation of the community from a farming village to an industrial center is due to the construction of the Gotthard railway at the end of the 19th century, and the use of water power from the Ticino river, which began in 1911 with the commissioning of the Biaschina-Zentrale powerplant.

The availability of large amounts of energy at a low cost, and the presence of an important transport link (the train) induced various industries to settle in the region.

This helped turn the area into an important industrial center of the Canton of Ticino.

Around 1910, Swiss and German businesses opened in the community, including Diamant (grinding materials), the Gotthardwerke (metal alloys), the chemical plant Nitre (production of nitrogen derivatives) and two carbide factories.

These industrial firms, which employed more than 1,000 workers (including many Italians), flourished thanks to the production of explosive materials during World War I.

After the war, the industry declined due to the changes of production methods and high railway tariffs.

On 21 July 1921, an explosion at the Nitre chemical plant claimed 15 lives, destroyed the factory and damaged neighboring buildings.

[3] The concentration of industry and labor in the area led to the creation of trade unions.

In 1917, Bodio became the home of the first cantonal section of the metal workers union (SMUV).

In 1917 the Biaschina-Kraftwerk power plant was transferred from Motor AG (later Motor-Columbus) to the Ticino Electricity Works (Ofelti), which was based in Bodio.

In 1936, after the construction of the Gotthard-transmission line, the Aare-Tessin AG für Elektrizität company (Atel), was founded and headquartered in Olten, with a branch at Bodio.

The best known example of local industrial enterprises is Monteforno (located in the area of Giornico, but based in Bodio).

The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Per bend sinister Gules a cross Argent and Or a mullet of the first.

[7] The age distribution, as of 2009[update], in Bodio is; 75 children or 7.7% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 90 teenagers or 9.2% are between 10 and 19.

[14] In the 2007[update] Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 521 registered voters in Bodio, of which 331 or 63.5% voted.

[17] From the 2000 census[update], 845 or 79.9% were Roman Catholic, while 17 or 1.6% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church.

In the lower secondary school system, students either attend a two-year middle school followed by a two-year pre-apprenticeship or they attend a four-year program to prepare for higher education.

The professional program lasts three years and prepares a student for a job in engineering, nursing, computer science, business, tourism and similar fields.