[7] The sale of lots was set for April 10, 1827 and advertised in newspapers in Indianapolis, Indiana and the state capital of Vandalia.

[1] The first post office was established in May of the same year in the house of Amos Williams, organizer of Vermilion and Edgar Counties and a prominent Danville citizen.

Beckwith was born in Pennsylvania in 1795 and moved to Indiana as a young man; in 1819 he accompanied the first white explorers to the area where Danville later existed because of his interest in the salt springs of the Vermilion River.

[11] In the mid-1800s Abraham Lincoln visited Danville over the course of approximately 18 years as he practiced law across the 8th Judicial Circuit.

[14][15] Lincoln later gave a speech in his stocking feet from the balcony of Dr. William Fithian, a prominent Danville physician.

[16][17] The Fithian home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and serves as the Vermilion County Museum.

[22] The coal formation underlying eastern Illinois and western Indiana is named the "Danville Member," after the area where it was first discovered.

[24] Danville was the site of a riot in 1903, which led to the lynching of a black man and an assault on the county jail.

[27] The Soldiers' Home was a major center in-itself with its own passenger train service, streetcar line, mess hall, farms, livestock, lake, jail, hospital, bakery, laundry stables, stores, theater, chapel, mortuary, office buildings, power plant, print shop, shoemakers, tinsmiths, barber shop and fire department.

[32] These acquisitions placed the college on a larger campus shared with the National Cemetery and modernized Veteran's Hospital.

[6] With the closure of the mines and many factories, including a major General Motors plant, Danville's economic base suffered in the latter half of the 20th century and the population began to decline significantly.

The 21st century has seen continued population decline but also major economic development initiatives including the restoration of the Fisher Theatre, expansion of major health care facilities, and the expansion of educational programs focused on job placement.

Retail in the community has increased after a large influx of redevelopment and green development, beginning in 2013 with the addition of Meijer and the Kohl's Plaza.

[50] Additionally, the City of Danville has created five Tax Increment Financing districts, including downtown, campus corridor, midtown, east Voorhees, and western gateway.

[51] Other available programs include a small business revolving loan fund and a downtown special service area (SSA).

[57] Danville is rich in Lincoln history, with over 12 sites commemorating his 18 years practicing law there while riding the 8th Judicial Circuit.

[60][61][62] The downtown area also includes the performance space Temple Plaza, Palmer Arena and ice rink, and 18 murals painted in 4 days by 160 Walldog artists from all over the world.

[44] These notable places include a Carnegie library, now operating as the Vermilion County War Museum; the Fithian Home, where Abraham Lincoln gave a speech in 1858; and the Danville Branch, National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers Historic District, currently located on the campus of DACC; the VA; and the Danville National Cemetery.

[85] Danville also sits along the Vermilion River, which provides recreational opportunities and supports abundant wildlife.

The downtown district contains five pocket parks, including Lindley Sign Forest and Temple Plaza.

Temple Plaza hosts a number of community events throughout the year; including a summer concert series and a brick relief sculpture created by Texas-based artist Donna Dobberfuhl.

[90] Additional recreational opportunities exist throughout the community, including Fetch Dog Park, the Danville Dans collegiate summer league baseball team, Garfield Park Aquatic Center, and many community sports leagues.

[83] The city made national headlines with a Wall Street Journal article criticizing Danville and other municipalities nationwide for misappropriating COVID-19 funds.

Out of the $26 million received from the federal government, Danville spent approximately half on a new water park.

In 2021, the arena voted to replace the Dashers with a new team in the Southern Professional Hockey League called the Vermilion County Bobcats.