"Clementi" derives its name from 'Clementi Road', the main traffic route that still runs into the district to this day.

It is generally suggested that the road was named after Sir Cecil Clementi Smith, who was the first British High Commissioner in the Straits Settlements.

[6][7] However, it is also possible that the road was named after Sir Cecil Clementi, another former Governor of the Straits Settlements (1930–33) who initiated the construction of the Kallang Airport.

[8] The present area occupying Clementi Avenue 1 used to be known as 'Sussex Estate', named after the historic county of Sussex in England.

When Clementi underwent a major transformation beginning in 1975, Sussex Estate was the only pre-development feature that was retained.

Planned as a self-sufficient residential town with a range of facilities and services, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) began clearing the area in 1974 and affected villagers were resettled.

An iconic landmark at Clementi is the steel truss railway bridge crossing Sungei Ulu Pandan.

Today, the disused track continues to attract much interest from the public, especially people with a taste for history, nature and photography.

There is a higher population concentration among middle-aged groups, with males and females both peaking at the 40-44 age range at 3.77% and 4.25% respectively.

This is slightly higher than the national home ownership rate of 87.9%,[15], reflecting a greater prevalence of homeowners in Clementi.

[15] In Clementi, the proportion of residents using English as the most frequently spoken language (51.13%) is higher than the national average of 48.25%.

[15] Among the employed residents in Clementi aged 15 years and over, most earn a gross monthly income of S$15,000 and over, with 12.1% being in that category.

In the 2011 general election, the PAP slate for five-member West Coast GRC, comprising Lim Hng Kiang, S. Iswaran, Arthur Fong, Lawrence Wong Shyun Tsai and Foo Mee Har, faced a contest against the Reform Party led by Kenneth Jeyaretnam.

Clementi was drawn into Jurong GRC after the electoral boundaries changed as a result of the 2015 general elections.

Tan Wu Meng currently represents the Clementi division after winning a seat in the 2015 General Elections.

The former Eng Wah's Empress Entertainment Centre Cineplex was also rebuilt and reopened as '321 Clementi' in March 2015.

In April 2005, the HDB announced plans to build a new mixed-use development at Clementi Town Centre, on the existing bus interchange site.

[20] Bounded by three roads and a concrete canal, its 33 hectares[20] consist of western and eastern halves separated by a mowed grass lawn.

[20] Two studies were then conducted by HDB and National Parks Board separately on the biodiversity and connection to nearby forests.

The Clementi Stadium, with a capacity of 4,000 spectators, is located near West Coast Road and can be seen from the Ayer Rajah Expressway.

The former West Coast Recreation Centre, which was located next to the Clementi Stadium, ceased operations in December 2019, and was demolished in 2020.

The School of Science and Technology, Singapore, which specialises in Science, Technology and Applied Learning, is located at the junction of Clementi Road and Commonwealth Avenue West near Dover MRT station and Clementi MRT station as well.

Waseda Shibuya Senior High School Singapore campus is also located at West Coast Road.