Originally named Tracey in honor of the general superintendent of the Rock Island Railroad.

Recognizing the benefits and the potential growth of the area, a community vote in the spring of 1946 resulted in the authorization for the creation of the Village of New Lenox.

On October 4, 1946, the State of Illinois officially certified that New Lenox was legally organized and incorporated as a Village in the State of Ill In 1829, fur traders Aaron Friend and Joseph Brown established an outpost along the north side of Hickory Creek (near today’s Gougar Road), which was one of the earliest settlements in Will County.

In 1832, “Uncle Billy” Gougar established a post office at his farm where area residents would pick up their mail.

Before the railroad, farmers hauled their goods to the I & M Canal or by wagon all the way to larger cities like Chicago.

Later three additional railroads: the Wabash, the Michigan Central, and the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern all crossed New Lenox Township.

Gradually the area east of Gougar Crossing along the railroad tracks became the new center of town and so the Village of New Lenox began.

Previously farmers could do "cash crop" farming by hauling the products to the I & M Canal or by wagon all the way to larger cities like Chicago.

Eventually New Lenox Township was served by three additional railroads: the Wabash, the Michigan Central, and the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern.

Although Mr. Higinbotham's home was located in New Lenox, he became famous in Chicago where he was a partner in Marshall Field's, a banker, and the organizing and supervising force behind the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893.

He was a colleague and friend of most of Chicago's leaders, including George Pullman, Marshall Field, and the Palmers.

The switchboard operators worked in homes so that 24 hour service could be given to customers to handle emergencies.

[4] New Lenox is known as "The Home of Proud Americans", which exemplifies the quality of life in the community.

[7] It is bordered by Joliet to the northwest, Ingalls Park to the west, Mokena to the east, Frankfort to the southeast and Manhattan to the south.

[12] However, due to a substantial slow down in area growth, a 2015 forecast estimates the population of New Lenox will grow to about 68,000 residents by 2040.

[16] However in 2023, New Lenox announced a 100 acre sports complex coming in 2025 in the original proposed Cedar Crossing.

The current board is composed of Katie Christopherson, Amy Gugiliuzza, Keith Madsen, Lindsay Scalise, David Smith, and Jim Wilson.

The village organizes a Summer Performing Arts Program including a series of free concerts and family movie nights.

Each year the village hosts the Triple Play Concert Series featuring national recording artists performing on three different dates each summer.

The Hickory Creek State Nature Preserve provides a 2.8-mile asphalt hiking and biking nature trail as well as access to the historic one-room Schmuhl School Museum on the southeast corner of Route 30 and Schoolhouse Road, which is owned and operated by the New Lenox Historical Society.

[28] Additionally, the Hadley Valley Preserve offers a unique 4.85-mile crushed Spring Creek Greenway Trail that welcomes pedestrians and equestrians.

[29] Silver Cross has built a $400 million hospital just off of U.S. Route 6 nearby the new I-355 extension in New Lenox; replacing their Joliet location on February 26, 2012.

These expressways provide transportation to many other major highways and to Chicago, Joliet, Naperville, Wheaton, Bolingbrook.