[2] The modern district includes the core of the historical village of Keljo, which was first mentioned in a written source from 1543.

Keljonkangas proper began developing into a suburban area after the Second World War, eventually surpassing the historical center of Keljo by the Keljonlahti bay.

[5][4] Keljonkangas is also a statistical area, which is divided into seven sub-districts: Keljonkankaan keskusta, Keskikangas, Kaijanlampi, Jokipakka, Keljonlahti, Sarvivuori and Urtti.

[6] The forested valley of a small stream between the hills Sarvivuori and Haapavuori near Muurame has been designated as a conservation site.

[4] The area of the modern district of Keljonkangas, specifically its northern divisions Keljonlahti and Jokipakka, was the center of the village of Keljo.

Oral tradition suggests that the first permanent inhabitants were hunters from Sysmä who settled by the Keljonlahti bay in the 14th century, however, no records for this have been found.

The nearby villages of Jyväskylä and Palokka were in a similar state, although they were parts of the Saarioinen division (modern southern Sääksmäki and Akaa).

[12] In January 1852, Jonas Särkkä from Keljo initiated a meeting regarding the potential separation of the Jyväskylä chapel community as an independent parish.

[4] Keljonkangas and almost the entire register village of Keljo was transferred from Jyväskylän mlk to the town of Jyväskylä in 1965.