A suburb of Brussels, it directly borders the Stockel and Kapelleveld neighbourhoods (Woluwe-Saint-Pierre municipality) within the city, and was a component of the short-lived Arrondissement of Brussels-Periphery.

When grandfather d'Huart died in 1927, his family decided to found "la Société Immobilière de Stockel" and built a lane through the forest.

Given the commune's proximity and good transport links to the airport, to NATO and to the European Quarter, an increasing number of non-Belgians have settled in the municipality and this trend looks set to continue as the few remaining greenfield sites are developed.

Its rich industrial and cultural legacy, in addition to its favorable location next to Brussels and the Zaventem Airport, have enabled Kraainem to develop its position as a touristic destination in recent years.

[citation needed] A lack of local lodging infrastructure has slowed touristic development until the early 2000s, when guest houses and AirBnB resolved this shortcoming.