[2] The city was founded in July 1901 by John Alexander Dowie, a Scots-Australian evangelical minister and faith healer who had migrated to the United States in 1888.

The structure was built in the early 1900s and was burned down in 1937, following several decades of tumultuous rule by Dowie's successor, Wilbur Glenn Voliva.

The beach was originally part of Camp Logan, developed in 1892 as a rifle range by the Illinois National Guard.

With the help of the Illinois Department of Conservation, the area south of Beach Road was established as the state's first natural preserve.

The city is served by Metra's Union Pacific North Line through Zion railway station on the east side.

Pace bus line 571 provides internal transit service in Zion and connects the city to Waukegan.

Once completed, it was to host the home games of the Lake County Fielders North American League baseball team co-owned by the actor Kevin Costner.

[19] The former city seal was the subject of a 1990 Federal Court case, because it featured a crown and scepter, a dove, a cross and the words "God Reigns".

The founder of Zion and designer of the city seal, John Alexander Dowie, intended for these to be Christian symbols and added them "for the purpose of the extension of the Kingdom of God upon earth ... where God shall rule in every department of family, industry, commercial, educational, ecclesiastical and political life".

While the Christian symbolism was removed, the phrase "In God We Trust" could be used on the new city seal since it was already acceptable religious language in the public arena.