It is well known for the road intersection on the western side of the suburb, where the South Eastern Freeway (National Route M1) from the Adelaide Hills and the main route from Melbourne splits into National Route A17 Portrush Road (north, the main route towards Port Adelaide), Glen Osmond Road, Adelaide (northwest towards Adelaide city centre) and state route A3 Cross Road west towards the coast and southern suburbs.

In 1841, silver and lead were found at Glen Osmond, leading to the establishment of the Wheal Gawler and Wheal Watkins mines.

Cedric Stanton Hicks, founder of the Australian Army Catering Corps, died here in 1976.

Tom Gill, whose family were early settlers in the area, published a History and Topography of Glen Osmond in 1902.

[4] A facsimile edition of the book was published by the State Library of South Australia in 1974.