Yamunanagar was earlier known as 'Abdulahpur'. Pre-independence, it was a small village with population concentrated around its Railway Station. After partition of India, many refugees from Punjab in Pakistan chose to make Yamunanagar their new home, and in the process adding to the culture of the town. The area where land was allocated to the refugees later developed into the model town area of Yamunanagar.

YAMUNANAGAR Distt. came into existence on Ist November, 1989. Its area is 1756 square kilometers, in which there are 655 villages, 10 towns, 2 Sub-Divisions, 3 tehsils and 3 sub-tehsils.Large part of the district lies under the Shiwalik foothills. Sugarcane, wheat and rice are its main crops. It is an important industrial town having metal, utensil and plywood industries. Large industries like Shri Gopal Paper Mills and Saraswati Sugar Mills (biggest Sugar mill in Asia) are also located here.