The first settlement in the area that would become Cheboksary dates back to the 13th century, although the first mention of the name "Cheboksary" in the Russian historical record is from 1469, when Russian soldiers stopped at the town on their way to the Khanate of Kazan. This year is now considered to be the year of the city's founding. A fortress and a trade and manufacturing quarter were built in the city in 1555, and by the first half of the 18th century, Cheboksary had grown into a large trading centre in the Volga area.
The city had the population of 456,054 and an area of 233 square kilometres as of January 1, 2009.
Today Cheboksary is the economic centre of the Chuvash Republic. The economic base of the city includes machinery manufacturing, metalworking, the textile industry, electronics, energy and construction. In the first 11 months of 2009, the trade turnover for non-small-business companies amounted to 103.3 billion roubles, or 67.9% of the corresponding period in 2008. In the same 11-month period in 2009, the average nominal salary for employees at non-small-business companies was 13,803.3 roubles, 1.4% higher than during the corresponding period in 2008.
Over 100 enterprises and companies make up the city's industrial sector, including major enterprises such as Promtraktor, the Cheboksary Aggregate Works, the Cheboksary Power Equipment Plant, the Chuvashkabel Plant, Akkond, Elara scientific and production company, Chuvashtorgtekhnika, Soyuzelektroavtomatika, the Volga Textile Company etc.
In 2009, over 250,000 square metres of housing were completed, and people began moving into new housing in the Novy Gorod (New Town) residential area, located between Cheboksary and the residential suburb of Novocheboksarsk.
The city's health care system includes 41 institutions operated by the municipal or regional governments. The city has 19 higher educational institutions, five colleges and 11 technical schools, five vocational schools, 75 secondary schools, 11 establishments of further education and 127 pre-school institutions. All city schools have access to the Internet.
In 2009, the city saw the construction of 16 new, multipurpose sports complexes, outdoor sports fields and recreational areas, as well as the construction of a covered ice rink at the Spartak sports complex. In winter, the city has 14 skating rinks, 15 ski runs, one mountain ski run and two speed-skiing runs. The city has about 150 gymnasia, 19 swimming pools and four stadiums with bleachers.
Cheboksary is the cultural centre of the Chuvash Republic, with over 100 sites of architectural interest. The city has five theatres, seven museums and exhibition halls, 26 libraries and 11 cultural and recreational centres. The city is working to establish a branch of the Boris Yeltsin Presidential Library in the Chuvash Republic. In 2006, St Tatiana's Cathedral of the Intercession, Cheboksary's main religious building, held its first service for local Orthodox believers.