The village of Chudovo was first mentioned in chronicles in 1539. By the mid-18th century, it developed into a big selo with a postal service station. By the beginning of the 19th century, Chudovo was the seat of Chudovskaya Volost of Novgorodsky Uyezd in Novgorod Governorate. The development of the area was further aided by the construction of the Moscow–St. Petersburg Railway, which opened in 1851. The railway to Novgorod was completed in 1871. A match factory, two cement-making factories, and a number of porcelain factories were built.