As of 2016, the refinery is capable of refining 314,000 barrels (49,900 m3) of oil per day to produce gasoline, jet fuel, diesel, asphalt, propane, and other products, and supplies part of the St. Louis, Chicago, Indiana, and Ohio regions.

[4] Roxana is considered to be part of the River Bend portion of the St. Louis Metro East area.

It is well known for its bright Christmas lights lining Illinois Route 111, its main street, throughout the holiday season each year.

As houses began being built close to the refinery, the population there grew to the point that, in 1921, this unincorporated area became the incorporated village of Roxana.

Local lore is that the name "Roxana" was chosen to honor a "Queen Roxanne" of the Netherlands, inasmuch as the village owed its very existence to Netherlands-state-owned Royal Dutch Shell.

However, Royal Dutch/Shell Group also founded Roxana Petroleum Company in 1912 in Oklahoma to explore for and produce crude oil.

Subsequently Shell built refineries near New Orleans in 1916, at Wood River in 1918, and parallel with US Route 20 across Hammond and East Chicago in Lake County, Indiana, in 1926.

To the south across Thomas Street used to sit Burbank School, built in 1936 (torn down in 2009), and at the southeast corner of the intersection lay Roxana Drug Store.

In the late 1960s, it was closed for nearly two years before being sold in June 1968 from the estate of Albert Critchlow to Bloomer Amusement Co. of Belleville.

Illinois Route 143 passes through the northern side of the village, leading northwest into Wood River and southeast 6 miles (10 km) to Edwardsville, the county seat.

Illinois Route 111 passes through the northwest part of the village, leading north into Wood River and south 8 miles (13 km) to Pontoon Beach.

Illinois Route 255, a four-lane freeway, runs through the east side of the village, with access from Exits 5 and 6.

The former Burbank Elementary School, located at the corner of Thomas Street and Central Avenue, closed in 1984 and was demolished in 2009.

In May 1934, a village ordinance was passed creating a Recreation Board that would develop a plan for activities and playground sites, establish a budget and employ a Supervisor to manage the operation.

Adjacent to the pool was a recreation area which included trampolines, miniature golf and donkey cart rides.

In 1959, additional land was purchased, and a house was acquired from Shell Oil Company and moved to the property.

Illinois Route 255 was completed in 1998 and runs through the eastern portion of the village limits, east of the Wood River refinery.