The municipality consists of 4 districts Original settlement of the Nottuln area dates back to about 4000 BC.

The name of Nottuln originates from Nutlon, which is probably early German for "nut wood".

After a destructive fire in 1748, the parish church and surrounding convent district were rebuilt in baroque style by Johann Conrad Schlaun.

Nottuln is on the Bundesautobahn 43 and Nottuln-Appelhülsen station in the nearby town of Appelhülsen is on the Wanne-Eickel–Hamburg railway, connecting to Münster.

Nottuln has bus lines that reach out to Coesfeld, Darup, and Roxel with the R62/3; Billerbeck and Appelhuelsen with the T85; and Münster with the S60.