Originally rural and laid out with many farms, in recent decades it has developed into a thriving suburb of Burlington, the largest city in the state of Vermont.

[4] The town has a National Register Historic District in its unincorporated central village.

A private, boarding high school, Pine Ridge, was founded in 1968 to serve learning-disabled students.

On the western side of the town, bordering South Burlington, is Vermont's largest mercantile development with numerous "big box" stores and other commercial activities, making it a destination from all over the region.

The town was also the home of several generations of the Chittenden family, for whom the surrounding county, Vermont's most populous, is named.

A number of beautiful original Chittenden family homes still stand in the town.

Thomas Chittenden, the President of the Vermont Republic, and first governor of the state had his home in Williston and is buried in the central cemetery, with a prominent memorial.

Although the accident triggered one of Vermont's most intensive emergency responses, the final victims were not rescued until the end of the day.

[7] Williston is in central Chittenden County, bordered on the north by the Winooski River.

It begins and flows from Mud Pond north to the village of Williston, and then in a northwesterly direction where it meets the Winooski River.

[4] The part of town known as Taft Corners[9] has a number of big-box stores, as well as chain restaurants not seen elsewhere in Vermont.