The suburb is named for Thomas Herbert Preston (1824–1884), a local resident and chair of the Avon Road Board.

[4] The suburb has a main exit to Preston Road at the north, and a minor one to the east.

An exit to the south to reduce congestion has been delayed by disagreements over the intersection design.

Before the 2023 census, the suburb had a smaller boundary, covering 3.98 km2 (1.54 sq mi).

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 51.4% had no religion, 39.2% were Christian, 0.1% had Māori religious beliefs, 1.6% were Hindu, 0.2% were Muslim, 0.5% were Buddhist and 1.7% had other religions.