Although archeological research indicates the location has been inhabited for thousands of years, the municipality was founded in 1802. At that time it merely consisted of a few hundred farms and landworkers' houses.
Hengelo was never granted city rights as it was only a small village that expanded in the 19th century during the industrial revolution. In the late 19th century it rapidly developed after the construction of an important railway junction. This attracted industry with a focus on technology: Stork B.V., Hazemeyer, Heemaf (now part of Eaton and Essent), KHZ (now AkzoNobel), and Hollandse Signaal Apparaten, now taken over by the Thales Group. Hengelo was the home town of Hengelo Bier, a local brewery.
During World War II, the city was often bombed by the Allies because of the presence of the railways and the war industry activities of local factories. Accidentally the heart of the town was bombed out, during the Bombing of Hengelo on 6 and 7 October 1944, killing several hundred people. This has also left the city without much of an historical centre.
One of the most prominent buildings is the Lambertusbasiliek, a Roman basilica built in 1890 devoted to Saint Lambert
