It was the site of a major battle in August 1944 during World War II, when the Soviet army established a strategic bridgehead in its vicinity, on the west bank of the Vistula.

The oldest settlement dates from the 12th century when the village, then called Magnussewo, was founded by one of the early Dukes of Masovia.

In 1576, as a result of war damage and fires that destroyed numerous wooden buildings, Magnuszew was demoted to the rank of a village.

In 1776 the new owner, Andrzej Zamoyski, restored the rank of the settlement as a town, due to a privilege granted by King Stanisław August Poniatowski.

In the following years the town experienced numerous fires and floods, and the population declined dramatically due to epidemics such as cholera and smallpox.

The alluvial flats near the river remained uninhabited because of flooding that hit the area at least twice a year, until levees were built in the late 19th century.

In World War I, the Tsarist army deported the German and Polish inhabitants of Magnuszew to the River Volga and other remote areas of Russia.