Situated in the Lublin Voivodship, Janów Lubelski belongs to Lesser Poland, and is located in southeastern corner of this historic Polish province.

The town is located at the intersection of two national roads: the 19th (Rzeszów – Lublin – Białystok – Grodno), and the 74th (Hrubieszów – Zamość – Kraśnik – Kielce – Piotrków Trybunalski).

On July 21, 1640, King Władysław IV Vasa issued a royal privilege, agreeing to found the town of Biała with Magdeburg Rights.

The coat of arms of the new town presented Saint Mary, and to build houses, the area located southwest of the Biała river was chosen.

In 1807 it was regained by Poles and included within the short-lived Polish Duchy of Warsaw, and after its dissolution, in 1815, it was transferred to Russian-controlled Congress Poland.

The number of residents declined, so the Zamoyski family decided to bring cloth makers from Silesia, who settled in a district called Sukiennia.

After the January Uprising, many residents of the town and the county were sent to katorga in Siberia, and the Dominican monastery was appropriated by Russian authorities.

During World War I, the town was the area of heavy fighting, and in 1922, after Poland had regained independence, almost half of houses burned in a fire.

A local power plant provided electricity, there were 339 artisans, a hospital, a senior citizen center and several civic organizations, such as Riflemen's Association.

During the joint German-Soviet invasion of Poland, which started World War II, in September 1939, Janów was three times bombed by the Luftwaffe, which killed 350 people and destroyed 85% of the town.

[6] Soviet and Polish troops captured Janów on July 26, 1944, and afterwards the town was restored to Poland, although with a Soviet-installed communist regime, which remained in power until the Fall of Communism in the 1980s.

The number of inhabitants grew, new districts were created, a new hospital was opened, as well as kindergartens, post office, and a municipal stadium.

Janów is home to two local museums and the Baroque Saint Mary of Rosary Sanctuary, located in the former Dominican monastery (1694–1769).