Naperville is a city within the Chicago Metropolitan Area in DuPage and Will counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is a western suburb of Chicago located 28 miles west of the city. Naperville was founded in 1831 by Joseph Naper. The city was established by the banks of the DuPage River, and was originally known as Naper's Settlement. By 1832, over 100 residents lived in Naper's Settlement.