The first construction on the site that is now Norwalk began with a log cabin built by Samuel Snyder.

[5] The first railroad into town was constructed in 1882 a narrow gauge line from Des Moines to Cainsville, Missouri.

The second was the development of a residential area in what is now the middle of town containing the Norwalk United Methodist Church and the Regency Nursing Home.

Further annexations continue to this day as the city seeks to maximize its economic growth potential.

Norwalk is regionally notable as having three golf courses, two of which sit amidst residential developments, Echo Valley and the Legacy.

On March 5, 2022, an EF4 tornado struck the city (albeit at a slightly weaker strength), damaging multiple homes and facilities.

The south shore of the lake is home to nearly 600 residences and the north side is being heavily marketed for its future development potential.

Generally considered one of the more upscale areas of town, Echo Valley has emerged as the 2017 host of the Home Builders Association of Greater Des Moines' Home Show Expo, drawing thousands of visitors to Echo Valley.

The Legacy The Legacy golf course community incorporating what used to be called the Colonial Meadows development, contains 18 PGA caliber golf holes, over 900 residences suitable to a wide range of housing budgets, and an increasing variety of commercial opportunities for what has become the geographic center of the city.

Rolling Green and Warrior Run The southeast portion of the city contains the Warrior Run golf course as well as several residential developments that will add hundreds of housing units to the city.

Rolling Green will consist of some 250 plus homes, and the Warrior Run Estates development area will add at least a further 100.

McAninch Sports Complex and Norwalk Business Center A combined development proposal established the McAninch Sports Complex, host to softball, baseball, and soccer events, as well as the Norwalk Business Center, home to multiple industrial users such as meat processing, stone cutting, building materials wholesale, and electronics manufacturing.

Windsor Windows is constructing a 160,000+ square foot manufacturing center in the southernmost portion of the business park.

Recently, Michael Foods announced the construction of a distribution center which will add $85 million of investment in the city and will be the largest single-site taxpayer in Warren County.

[7] Norwalk holds the unofficial record for the largest amount of rainfall in a 24-hour period for any town in Iowa, with more than 9 inches falling June 9–10, 2011.