Situated in the midst of an expanding cotton region, Woodruff developed as a trade center for the rural farming communities.

As a terminus on the rail line, the station at Woodruff included a turntable that would return trains to Augusta, Georgia.

During the 1880s and 1890s construction steadily progressed along Main Street, with the popular Leatherwood Hotel as the focal point.

Until World War II the major diversion from textiles in the area was peaches, with more than 200,000 trees within a ten-mile radius.

But with the 1962 opening of the Jeffery Manufacturing Company plant costing US$2,500,000 (equivalent to US$28,684,211 in 2023),[7] the town’s industrial base grew and diversified.

City Council members include Mattie Norman, Toni Sloan, William "Buddy" Arnold, James Smith, Scott Dickard and Sharon Kelly.

[9] The town is also noted for being situated near an international aeromodelling center, Triple Tree Aerodrome, where the world's largest model airplane event happens annually, Joe Nall Week.

[11] Spartanburg County School District 4 serves Woodruff and nearby areas, encompassing approximately 2,800 students.

Under the leadership of Coach W. L. Varner, the school's athletics programs have secured numerous state titles.

Woodruff also hosts the Project Fun Homeschool Co-op, which serves students from Spartanburg, Greenville, Laurens, and Union counties.