As with other cities in the region, the area in the vicinity of present Niagara Falls, Ontario was inhabited by Native Americans, particularly the Iroquois people, before the arrival of the Europeans. In the 1670s, the French priest Louis Hennepin visited the area around the waterfalls, supposedly becoming the first European to do so.

Since Hennepin's visit, Europeans became more and more drawn into the locale. Most of Niagara Falls' early settlers were Loyalists to the British Crown, who left the former American colonies after the American Revolution.

By the mid-19th century, several communities in the vicinity were incorporated as villages, such as Chippawa, Drummondville, and Elgin. Before the turn of the century, Elgin merged with another community and became Clifton, which soon changed its name to the Town of Niagara Falls. Drummondville followed suit and became the Village of Niagara Falls.

In 1904, both the Town and Village carrying the waterfalls' name merged to form the City of Niagara Falls. The rest of the 20th century marked Niagara Falls' rise to fame as a tourist spot and honeymoon destination; in fact, the city is the self-proclaimed "Honeymoon Capital of the World".

In 1970, the city merged with Chippawa, Crowland, Stamford, and Willoughby Townships, creating the present city of Niagara Falls. As of 2001, the city's population is 78,815.