The village of Aplington was laid out and platted in 1857. The town was named in honor of Zenas Aplington, a resident of Illinois, who never visited the area, but owned much of the land. The town's first hotel was built in 1858 by Rachel Quinn. The Illinois Central Railroad established a track through Aplington in 1865. A train depot was built two years later.

By 1882, Aplington had established a school system with two schoolhouses, employing two teachers and a principal. The community continued to prosper, and by 1887, the population in Aplington had reached 427.

Many of the streets in town were named for prominent men in the area. The main street (Hwy. 57) was named for R.R. Parriot, but by a misspelling, it is now called Parriott Street.

A fire in March of 1901 burned down most of the buildings along Parriott Street--Aplington's downtown section. The only brick building in town, the Exchange Bank, was not destroyed. Fortunately, no homes were destroyed . After the fire, rebuilding began and steady progress in town improvements were made.

The school district was consolidated in 1917 when a brick building was erected. By 1955, the Aplington Community School system employed 24 teachers and ten bus drivers. Total enrollment for the year was 540.

In 1981, the population had grown to 1014. Services of the local government included electric utilities, updated sewer and water, ambulance, volunteer fire department, American Legion Memorial Library, a city park, police department and post office. Farming continues to be an important part of the economy.

Nettie and George Vanloh, wrote in the book, Aplington: 1856-1981, "Aplington has been known for its neat, clean appearance and well-kept homes and yards. Main street is lined on both sides with good businesses, with attractive fronts. The business people are young and aggressive." The "Community Builder Plan for the City of Aplington", written in 1993 states, "Aplington residents are proud of their high quality of living in this primarily rural-oriented community. A strong work ethic, belief in family values, concern for each other, cooperation and sense of pride, are all the necessary ingredients for a successful small community like Aplington."