It has a history dating back before 1540, when it was noted as a village of the Coosa Nation visited by the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto.

It is said a member of De Soto’s crew fell ill and was left to settle in the area of present day Childersburg where the Coosa people cared for the ill explorer.

[citation needed] The Alabama Army Ammunition Plant, important during World War II, was located 4 miles (6 km) north of Childersburg.

[5] The city is located along the Coosa River in western Talladega County along US Routes 280 and 231.

US 280 and 231 run northwest to southeast through the city, leading northwest 7 mi (11 km) to Harpersville, where they split, and US 280 continues 37 mi (60 km) to Birmingham.

Alabama Route 76 also runs through the city, leading east 10 mi (16 km) to Winterboro and southwest 7 mi (11 km) to Alabama Route 25 near Wilsonville.

Successive indigenous peoples had lived in the area for thousands of years.

[9] Childersburg is the "oldest occupied settlement in America” [10] The Abihka people (part of those who became known as the Muskogee or Creek) dominated the area by the 18th century.

[12] Operated by DuPont, the plant produced explosives, such as nitrocellulose, trinitrotoluene (TNT), and dinitrotoluene (DNT).

[12] The plant also secretly produced heavy water to support the Manhattan Project.

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 4,754 people, 2,175 households, and 1,284 families residing in the city.

Childersburg has won numerous youth baseball state championships including Cal Ripken, Babe Ruth and most recently (2013) American Legion.