South Windsor began as a demanding tobacco farming village in the 17th century. An assortment of office and retail projects, including a 1.2 million square foot outdoor shopping village, uphold the local economy and supply jobs for residents.

Separate from the business districts in town, they are single-family homes, historic architecture and delightful condominium communities, along with age-restricted housing complexes for adults.

Students can attend one of the five public elementary schools and move up to the middle and high schools afterwards. South Windsor was named one of the 100 best communities for young people in 2005 by a national youth alliance. Noted was the community's capability to provide the resources children need to become compassionate and productive adults. The town now has an active youth and family services council as well as a senior center.

Many activities are promoted by the recreation department for every age, which includes the annual fishing derby, summer concert series, family film series and a before and after school programs. The recreation department also maintains parks, picnic areas, tennis courts and playgrounds, and sponsors team sports leagues. Trails for hiking wind through the Major Michael Donnelly Land Preserve.

Interstate 91 provides easy access to and from South Windsor as well as business centers like Hartford and Springfield.