Lexington, settled by European colonists in 1642 as part of Cambridge, incorporated as a parish by the name of Cambridge Farms in 1691 and later as an independent town in 1713. Vine Brook, which runs through Lexington, Burlington, and Bedford before emptying into the Shawsheen River, supported mills during the colonial period, and provided farm irrigation in the 20th century.

On April 19, 1775, what is regarded as the first battle of the Revolutionary War took place in Lexington. Today, its Town Common, also known as the Battle Green, is graced by monuments and surrounded by historical buildings including Buckman Tavern.

Lexington grew modestly and for decades remained largely a farming community. The advent of rail line service in 1846 and the construction of the Route 128 corridor in the 1950s facilitated both business and residential expansion.