Samuel Woodruff, Southington's first white settler, moved from Farmington to the area then known as "Panthorne" that was settled in 1698.

Timlow's Sketches of Southington (1875), "Landlord Barnes gave a ball at his tavern, at which a large number of the young women of the vicinity were present; and they esteemed it something of an honor to have had a 'cotillion' with the polite foreigner."

In the early 1900s, Southington developed as a manufacturing center, but still maintained a very small population of a few thousand residents.

Some of the products invented there include the first cement that was able to harden under water, the first carriage bolt cutting machine, the break-neck rat trap, and a new tinware process.

With the overall decline of industry in New England, and the construction of Interstate 84 in the mid 1960s, Southington developed into a bedroom community in which the town saw explosive growth and a population that has surged to over 42,000 today.

Photographers roamed the community taking photos of residents at work, at play and in their homes and churches.

The final publication was intended to show friends and foes alike in Europe the typical American citizens and families, their traditions and values.

The WPA was the largest and most ambitious American New Deal agency, employing individuals to carry out public works projects.

[3] Each year, Southington is home to the Apple Harvest Festival, an effort to bring together local businesses and denizens from the area and surrounding cities.

The tornado, which was "near-F4" intensity at the time, damaged or destroyed numerous buildings, homes, businesses, and vehicles throughout the area before it dissipated northeast of town.

Southington's portion of Route 10 is named the Louis G. Tolles Memorial Highway for the late state Grange leader and legislator (1885–1956).

Top employers in Southington according to the town's 2019 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report[16] As industry in the area declined, many old factories and buildings were left vacant.

The latest to close was Ideal Forging, which filed for bankruptcy in 2001 and vacated its building in the town center.

In 2005, Meridian Development Partners of New York City purchased the land with plans to transform the former factory site into homes and retail space.

[17] Demolition of the factory began in October 2014, but the project was later abandoned because of the high cost necessary to decontaminate the soil.

Lifelong resident and philanthropist Robert Petroske donated $50,000 to the revitalization effort which led to the installation of decorative iron lamp posts, benches, and garbage cans.

Flowering trees were planted, and a former fountain and light fixture was restored and relocated from Recreation Park (where it had been moved in 1961) to the town center.

A renaissance zone was created where private business owners in the zone could apply to the town to continue the project of granite, brick pavers, and lamp posts, of which the town would pay the difference of replacement concrete sidewalks versus the more expensive brick.

The town water department, which built a new facility on West Queen Street in 2002, demolished its former facility located between Mill and High streets in June 2008 and developed the land into a landscaped park, along with a continuation of the sidewalks, iron fences and decorative lamp posts.

The project has brought landscaping, iron benches, and intersections of brick pavers where the trail crosses roads.

Lake Compounce, an amusement park founded in 1846, is located partially in Southington, as well as neighboring Bristol.

It consists of a nine-member Town Council, elected every odd year through an at-large popular vote.

[20] Due to state minority representation laws, a maximum of six nominees from each party can run.

Approximately 6,500 students are enrolled in Southington public schools, making it one of the larger districts in the state of Connecticut.

Southington High School has a growing enrollment exceeding 2,200 students, of which 90% of graduates attend post-secondary education.

Due to Southington's popularity as a family suburb, the town has undertaken plans to expand all schools to accommodate the growing enrollment.

Following its creation, public transportation can now connect Southington residents to Waterbury station and the Metro-North Railroad, providing service to Bridgeport and ultimately Stamford and New York City.