Winfield was established on a 400-acre (160 ha) tract of land owned by Charles Brown.

The first meeting of the county court was held at the home of Talleyrand P. Brown, in Winfield, on May 22, 1848.

The town was incorporated on February 21, 1868, and named in honor of Winfield Scott,[6] the commanding general of the U.S. Army during the Mexican–American War.

The James W. Hoge House, Putnam County Courthouse, and Winfield Toll Bridge are listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011.

There were 967 housing units at an average density of 401.2 per square mile (154.9/km2).

24.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 777 housing units at an average density of 290.5 per square mile (112.4/km2).

20.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.