Zhongguancun National Independent Innovation Demonstration Zone was originated from Zhongguancun Electronics Street in the early 1980s. It is a product of China's reform and opening up.

In March 1978, the CPC Central Committee held a National Scientific Conference in Beijing, in which Deng Xiaoping, then Vice Chairman of the CPC Central Committee, made a important speech, pointing out clearly that science and technology are productive forces and intellectuals are part of the working class. This made the vast number of S&T personnel in Zhongguancun feel the arrival of "spring" to reignite the passion for serving the country through science and technology. Since then, a large number of scientists, represented by Chen Chunxian from the Institute of Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, left scientific research institutes and universities to set up private high-tech enterprises (commonly known as "Xiahai" (go into business), forming the Zhongguancun Electronic Street.

The constantly emerging private high-tech enterprises in Zhongguancun area has been strongly supported by the CPC Central Committee and the Beijing Municipal Party Committee. In May 1988, with the approval of the State Council, the Municipal Government issued the Interim Regulations for Beijing New Technology Industry Development Experimental Area (“Interim Regulations” for short), which stipulates that “Establish an export-oriented and open Experimental Area for the development of new technology industries with Zhongguancun area as the center within around 100 square kilometers in Haidian District of Beijing City”, so that high-tech enterprises registered in the Experimental Area for the development of new technology industries in Beijing may enjoy various preferential policies of the state stipulated in the Interim Regulations. Since then, China's first state-level high-tech industrial development zone was officially established. In June 1999, the State Council issued a Reply to the Request for Instructions on Accelerating the Construction of Zhongguancun Science Park to the Instructions on Implementing the Strategy of Rejuvenating the Country through Science and Education and Accelerating the Construction of Zhongguancun Science Park issued by submitted by the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Beijing Municipal Government, agreeing in principle with the opinions on accelerating the construction of Zhongguancun Science Park and the development plan of Zhongguancun Science Park. In August of the same year, the Beijing New Technology Industry Development Experimental Area was renamed Zhongguancun Science Park. In March 2009, The State Council issued the Approval on Supporting the Construction of Zhongguancun Science Park as a National Independent Innovation Demonstration Zone, clarifying the new positioning of Zhongguancun Science Park as a national independent innovation demonstration zone, with the purpose of becoming a S&T innovation center with global influence, and agreed to implement the pilot work of equity incentive, Fintech reform and innovation in the Zhongguancun Demonstration Zone. Zhongguancun has become the first national independent innovation demonstration zone in China. Over the past 30 years, the construction and development of Zhongguancun Demonstration Zone has been highly valued by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, and has made eight major decisions and arrangements. On September 30, 2013, the ninth collective learning of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee was held in Zhongguancun, where Xi Jinping, the General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, delivered an important speech. He pointed out in the speech that Zhongguancun has become a banner of China's innovation and development. Facing the future, we should speed up the march to a science and technology innovation center with global influence.

Since April 1994, with the approval of the former State Science and Technology Commission (later renamed as the Ministry of Science and Technology), the ranges of Beijing New Technology Industry Development Experimental Area and Zhongguancun Science Park have been adjusted for three times, experiencing the development pattern of "one zone with three parks", "one zone with five parks", and "one zone with seven parks", while the policy area has always remained the same as 100 square kilometers. In January 2006, with the approval of the State Council, the National Development and Reform Commission issued the Announcement, which confirmed the total planned land area of Zhongguancun Science Park to be 232.52 square kilometers. Subsequently, the Ministry of Land and Resources announced the 4-direction boundary range of planned land for 10 parks in Zhongguancun Science Park, including Haidian Park, Fengtai Park, Changping Park, Electronics City, Yishuan Park, Desheng Park, Shijingshan Park, Yonghe Park, Tongzhou Park and Daxing Biological Pharmaceutical Industry Base. In October 2012, the State Council issued the Reply on the Approval of Adjusting the Spatial Scale and Layout of Zhongguancun National Independent Innovation Demonstration Zone, agreeing in principle to adjust the spatial scale and layout of Zhongguancun Science Park. After the adjustment, the space scale of Zhongguancun Demonstration Zone has expanded to 488 square kilometers, forming a development pattern of "one zone with multiple parks", including 16 parks, such as Haidian Park, Changping Park, Shunyi Park, Daxing-Yizhuang Park, Fangshan Park, Tongzhou Park, Dongcheng Park, Xicheng Park, Chaoyang Park, Fengtai Park, Shijingshan Park, Mentougou Park, Pinggu Park, Huairou Park, Miyun Park and Yanqing Park.