The story of Meadowvale Village begins in 1819 when twenty-nine families emigrated from New York State and settled in this area. Due to the quiet pastoral beauty which greeted these early settlers, the area was appropriately dubbed "Meadowvale".

Early milling enterprises were established by James Crawford and John Simpson. Simpson quickly became an affluent member of the community and is considered by many as the founding father of the village. In 1836, Meadowvale had reached a sufficient size to be considered a village. Milling continued as the lifeblood of the community for many years, and the burgeoning village's prosperity was directly linked to the success of the mills.

Francis Silverthorn moved to Meadowvale in 1844, and, with his expansions to Crawford's mill complex, the community also acquired a grist mill. By the 1850s, there were two hotels, a wagon shop, foundry and a school to support the growing population.

Due to the well-preserved historic character of the area, Meadowvale Village earned the distinction of becoming Ontario's first Heritage Conservation District in 1980.

Meadowvale village is located adjacent to the largest business park area in Mississauga, with the second largest being located in between Meadowvale Village and Meadowvale along the Highway 401 corridor, where numerous major corporations have recently located their offices, factories and research and development facilities, including:

Wal-Mart Canada - Retailer
Chrysler Canada - Car
Siemens - Electronics
GlaxoSmithKline - Pharmaceuticals
Magna International - Auto Parts
Microsoft - Software
Tech Data - Computer parts distributor
Biovail - Bio-medical
DuPont - Chemicals
Fujitsu - Computer
Mitutoyo - Measuring Equipment
Sandvik - Materials and Metallurgy
FANUC Robotics - CNC controllers
Snap-on - Tools
Purolator Courier - Courier
Royal Bank of Canada - Bank
Maple Leaf Foods - Food Manufacturer
Tech Data - IT components distributor
Mary Kay - Cosmetics
Royal LePage Meadowtowne Realty
D-Link - Computer/Networking Parts

In recognition of its many historical buildings, Meadowvale Village was recognized as Ontario’s first Heritage Conservation District in 1980. To reduce traffic through the village, the Derry Road by-pass was built in the mid-1990s. Located about one kilometre north of the Old Derry Road, the new Derry Road is a major east-west traffic artery running from Mississauga Road to Mavis Road.