The suburb of Wigram, containing the city's former RNZAF base (now an aviation museum), is located nearby.

One of the city's main horseracing circuits, Riccarton Racecourse, is located close to Sockburn's northern edge, and Racecourse was the initial name for the area.

[3] The name of Sockburn is most often currently associated with its role in arterial routes south from the city, with Main South Road (formerly part of State Highway 1) crossing the Sockburn Overbridge and having a major junction at the Sockburn roundabout, where the road splits into two main routes to the city, one extending through the commercial heart of Riccarton, and the other, Blenheim Road, passing to the south through a light industrial area.

The proportion of people born overseas was 38.9%, compared with 27.1% nationally.

The proportion of people born overseas was 30.4%, compared with 27.1% nationally.

[7] Chokebore Lodge is a cob cottage built in the late 1850s.

It was named by a new owner, Henry Redwood in 1874 after a shotgun type with which he was skilled.

[11] St Thomas of Canterbury College is a Catholic boys secondary school catering for years 7 to 13.