Springfield, one of the first settlements in the area, began with a hotel along the Detroit and Saginaw Turnpike, now known as Dixie Highway.

Agriculture was the mainstay of the local economy and trains allowed the farmers to ship produce and live stock to market and to receive supplies and equipment.

With the decline of agriculture as a major economic activity in the township, residents began commuting to Pontiac and Flint for employment in the developing automotive factories, marking the beginning of the township's decline.

The accessibility provided by two interchanges accelerated residential growth in the late 1960s and 1970s.

Springfield Township has had a long-standing commitment to zoning and planning dating back to the early 1950s.

As a result, the revised Master Plan and Zoning Ordinance incorporated natural resource protection information and standards.

The primary basis for the township's planning, zoning, and land use decisions for at least the last 20 years has been the protection and preservation of their abundant and very special natural resources.

Today, Springfield Township is home to many parks, including Springfield Oaks County Park, site of the annual Oakland County Fair, and Indian Springs Metropark.

The township's population, which increased by a third in the 1990s, continued to grow through the first decade of the 21st century.

The Huron flows in a southeasterly direction and empties into Lake Erie.

The Clinton flows in an easterly direction and empties into Lake St. Clair in Macomb County's Harrison Township.