[5] The first settlers erected their log homes along the banks of the Susquehanna and Swatara.

The spelling "Paxtang" is from the original Native name Peshtank, which meant "standing water".

[7] On March 4, 1785, Dauphin County was formed from Lancaster County, named for the Dauphin of France, heir apparent to the French throne, whose country the area government wanted to honor for its assistance in the Revolutionary War.

Within Lower Swatara is the Conrad and Margaret Allerman House, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

[9] The township formerly housed the Star Barn Complex, which moved to neighboring Lancaster County in 2017.

Unincorporated communities in Lower Swatara Township include Ebenezer in the north, Freys Grove in the east along Swatara Creek, Greenwood Hills near the center, and Meade Heights and Jednota in the south.

Harrisburg International Airport occupies the southernmost land in the township, along the Susquehanna River.

The US Airways subsidiary Allegheny Airlines had its headquarters on the grounds of Harrisburg International Airport in the township.