Balsa Nova was settled by
Carajó people, an
Atlantic coast-based subgroup of the
Guaraní people, prior to the arrival of the Portuguese. The Carajó used the present-day area of Balsa Nova along the
Iguaçu as an outpost. The area served as a crossing ground for cattle drovers moving livestock and goods to the south of Brazil. The
Sierra of São Luiz do Purunã provided an open area for cattle. The first settlement in the area dates to 1702, and the Capela Nossa Senhora do Carmo, later known as the Capela de Nossa Senhora da Conceição do Tamunduá, was built in 1709. The area was referred to variously as Rodeio, Rodeiozinho, or Rodeio Grande; all are references to cattle farming. The settlers in the late 18th century started farms along the Iguaçu for their cattle and crop irrigation. The small settlement was isolated and lacked road or rail connections to other areas of Paraná. Crossing the Iguaçu was only canoe. Galdino Chaves received permission from the federal government in 1884 to build a ferry crossing, which he constructed at Ana Chaves. The first ferry was of weak construction and was destroyed in a flood. Chaves received funding from the government to build a secure ferry in 1891, this time a modern ferry aided by a steel cable. The new ferry became both a success and a landmark, and the area became known as Balsa Nova,
Portuguese for "new ferry." The new ferry and the opening of the railroad in Paraná spurred the export of timber and
yerba mate from Balsa Nova. The town was named João Eugênio in 1938, but returned to the name Balsa Nova in 1954 as a district of Campo Largo. Balsa Nova separated from Campo Largo on November 4, 1961, and became an independent municipality. ==Districts==