Located in the Vendée department in the Pays de Loire region.

It belongs to the urban area and agglomeration of La Roche-sur-Yon (chief town of the department).

The French demonym for its inhabitants is Venansaltais (masculine) or Venansaltaise (feminine).

Saint Venant (Saint Venance Fortunat), a man of letters from Italy, 25th bishop of Poitiers, who died at the very beginning of the 6th century, is said to be the origin of the name of the commune.

There is also commune called Saint-Venant in Pas-de-Calais, and Saint-Venant-de-Paquette in Quebec which are said to have their orignins in a holy hermit named "Venatius" (Venant) Created in 1999, the Twinning Committee aims to encourage the establishment of relations between the inhabitants of Venansault and those of the twin towns.This association has already created twinnings with the town of Wolin in Poland and the town of Mercury in France.