The origin of the word Lhokseumawe is "Lhok" and "Seumawe". Lhok means inside, or bay and Seumawe means splashing water or a center of springs at sea along the offshore of Banda Sakti and surrounding areas.
Before the 20th century, the country was ruled by Uleebalang Kutablang. In 1903 after the resistance of the Aceh fighters against the Dutch colonialists weakened, Aceh began to be mastered. the celestial bay became a conquered area and from that time the celestial bay status to Bestuur Van the celestial bay with Zelf Bestuurder was Teuku Abdul bay of heaven submissive under Controeleur Aspiration and in the celestial bay also dominated Wedana as well as Assistant Resident or Regent.
In the second decade of the twentieth century, among the whole of Aceh, one of the small islands about 11 km² separated by the Krueng Cunda River was filled with public, military, and railway buildings by the Dutch Government. Small islands with villages of Kampung Keude Aceh, Kampung Jawa, Kampung Kutablang, Mon Geudong Village, Teumpok Teungoh Village, Kampong Hagu, Kampung Uteuen Bayi and Kampung Ujong Blang, all of whom have a population of 5,500. Building by building fills the land until it embodies a city embryo with harbors, markets, railway stations and government offices.
At first the Gulf bays were combined with Bestuurder Van Cunda. This landing population is increasingly crowded coming from surrounding areas such as Buloh Blang Ara, Matangkuli, Blang Jruen, Lhoksukon, Nisam, Cunda and Pidie.
In 1956 with Emergency Law No. 7 of 1956, autonomous districts formed within the scope of the province of North Sumatra, where one of the districts of which is North Aceh is now called the capital of Lhokseumawe.