Composed of portions of St. Clair and Jefferson townships in 1845, South Park was originally called Snowden Township, named after John M. Snowden, a prominent businessman, politician and former Pittsburgh mayor, who had died earlier that year.

In the 1930s, Allegheny County acquired several large parcels of farm land mostly within Snowden Township and created a regional recreational area named South Park.

The huge success of South Park, and the fact the facility occupies roughly one-third of the community's total area, eventually prompted a 1966 referendum in which the township was renamed.

It is the location of the Oliver Miller Homestead where in 1794, the first shots of the Whiskey Rebellion were fired.

A log house was originally built on the site in 1772; it was replaced by a stone structure around 1830, which is open for public tours.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 9.2 square miles (23.8 km2), all land.

South Park Township has five borders, including Baldwin to the north, Pleasant Hills and Jefferson Hills to the east, Union Township (in Washington County) to the south, and Bethel Park to the west.

Summers are hot and humid (with occasional heat waves), while winters are cold and snowy.

The warmest month of the year in South Park, as in most of the northern hemisphere, is July.

Due to its position on the windward side of the Allegheny Mountains, South Park Township receives heavier precipitation than cities located farther to the west, and many days are subject to overcast skies, with 153 days of the year with some precipitation and only 2024 sunshine hours per year.

Precipitation is greatest in May, due to frequent thunderstorms and more organized low pressure systems which track up the eastern coast of the United States.

In September 2004, the remnants of Hurricane Ivan brought gusty winds and dropped nearly 6 inches (150 mm) of rain in 12 hours.

The neighborhoods are grouped primarily by the small towns throughout the township and the time era which the plans of homes were built.

Most of Broughton is residential with a few businesses, gas stations, and eateries along Brownsville Road.

Notable institutions include the National Energy Technology Laboratory and the US Bureau of Mines On the northern side, the area is known as Curry.

Library, formally known as Loafer's Hollow, is a large neighborhood of South Park.

The South Park Eagles Boys' soccer team has won state championships both in 2005 and 2006.