The history of the city goes back to the 12th - 13th centuries.

1868 can be considered the year of the city's foundation. This is when the railway line Moscow — Voronezh was laid here. The railway station was built here (nowadays Gryazi-Voronezhsky station) and named after the neighboring large village of Gryazi. The population of the station settlement made 1300 dwellers (one hundred and seventy houses).

Gryazi is first of all a large railway junction of the Southeast railroad, which stands at the crossing of two main lines (direction to Moscow, Rostov, Oryol, and Volgograd).