As an inner city suburb, Addington has a mix of residential, retail and light industrial properties.

[3] For the first decade after the founding of Christchurch in 1850, Addington was farmland, consisting of large rural sections.

Factories moved in; wool and grain sheds opened; and with the industry came residential development for workers.

By the time the show grounds were opened in 1887, Addington had become an important suburb in the industrial and social life of Christchurch.

The prison closed in 1999 and the Mountfort cell block and remaining perimeter walls are a Heritage New Zealand Historic Place Category 2[5] and is now a hostel.

[6] The suburb was named for the country residence of Archbishop John Sumner, one of the leading members of the Canterbury Association, and who was buried in St Mary's Church, Addington in England.

The station mainly serves the TranzAlpine which carries passengers on the 223-kilometre (139 mi) coast-to-coast journey from Christchurch to Greymouth.

[10] Addington was the home of the oldest blending plant in the Southern Hemisphere until it was demolished after sustaining some damage in the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake.

Tower Junction has a shopping centre, Addington Racecourse, and light industrial premises, and also includes two rest homes, which result in an unusually high median age for residents.

[17] Tower Junction shopping centre is located in Addington, owned by Ngāi Tahu.

[18] The suburb is home to multiple sporting and events complexes, including Horncastle Arena, Rugby League Park (currently branded as Orangetheory Stadium), and Addington Raceway.

Along with Riccarton Racecourse, the Raceway is one of Christchurch's primary horse-racing venues, focusing predominantly on harness racing, and is the home to the annual New Zealand Trotting Cup.

[21] The Court Theatre, whose buildings were damaged in the earthquake, relocated to "The Shed" and started operating in 2011.

[23] Addington School is sited in the south–west corner of the suburb where the boundary with Spreydon is not clearly defined.