The National Council for Geographic Education (NCGE) was started in 1914 by George J Miller, of the State Normal School in Mankato, Minnesota, and Raymond H. Whitbeck, of the University of Wisconsin, to fill a gap in the field of geographic education. The idea gained support nationally and the first meeting of the organization was held on 31 December 1915.

Originally called the National Council for Geography Teachers (NCGT), their purpose was to "increase the effectiveness of geography teaching in America; (a) by promotion of national education movements; (b) by cooperating in the organization and development of state associations; and (c) in such other ways as the officers may from time to time determine.'" While today the NCGE is no longer organized as it was originally, its basic purpose has not changed. The current mission statement of the NCGE states that the organization will "work to enhance the status and quality of geography teaching and learning." In 1956, the NCGT changed their name to the National Council for Geographic Education to reflect the idea that not all education concerns occur in the classroom.

Through their history, the NCGE's membership has varied in composition and numbers. Unlike many other professional organizations of the time, women were welcome (and active) as members from early on. The men and women who have been involved in the NCGE have come from many different areas in the discipline. They include college and university professors, primary and secondary educators, administrators, and others interested in geographic education. Membership numbers for the NCGE have varied from a low of 1000 members in the 1930s to a high of almost 7000 members in 1969. In 1998 the number of members was around 3900.

In an effort to encourage geographic education, the NCGE supports a variety of activities, including sponsoring annual meetings and summer workshops, and working with other organizations to promote geographic education. From the beginning of the NCGT, publishing has also been important in transferring information to those interested in geography education. The Journal of Geography became the official journal of the Council in 1915. By the 1930s, the Council was publishing professional papers and booklets to aid geography educators. In 1969, the organization began publishing a newsletter for its members entitled. Perspective. Today the NCGE continues to publish books, maps, and guides in support of geographic education. In 1973 the Council also began supporting a slide library in collaboration with the Great Plains National Institutional Library in Lincoln, NE. This program was designed to allow geography teachers to acquire slides of particular cities/locations and geographic subjects at little to no cost.

The NCGE is a strong and influential force in the field of geography education. The organizational headquarters are at Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Alabama.