The Lincoln Heritage Council is one of the oldest local Councils serving both urban and rural areas in the United States. Their first charter was granted under the name "Louisville Area Council" in 1912. Later they applied for and received permission to change the name of the Council to "Old Kentucky Home Council", which remained the name until 1992. In 1992, the George Rogers Clark Area Council, based out of New Albany, Indiana, chose to join efforts with their neighbor, the Old Kentucky Home Council . The councils merged, and on January 1, 1993, the Lincoln Heritage Council officially came to be.

On April 1, 2012 the Lincoln Heritage Council welcomed 39 counties in western Kentucky, Illinois and Tennessee formally served by the Shawnee Trails Council. The territory became the Western Service Area in the Lincoln Heritage Council.

The Council has fourteen geographical districts and four service areas.The Lincoln Heritage Council #205 is composed of 64 counties in Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana and Tennessee.