Before the colonisation of South Australia in 1836, the indigenous Kaurna people lived on the land now called Woodville.

[3] The first building recorded was an inn called "Halfway House", which opened in 1839, near the site of the later Woodville Hotel.

[6] In 1854, John Bristow Hughes (of Bundaleer Station) bought a residence called St Clair.

Hughes added an underground kitchen, a second storey, and the entire ground floor was converted into a ballroom.

He chose the name in memory of his late wife Margaret, but Augustus Short, Anglican Bishop of Adelaide, would not allow him to name it after her.

[4] In 1923, Holden Motor Body Builders established a 23.5-acre (9.5 ha) site known as the Holden Woodville Plant (although it was in fact in the nearby suburb of Cheltenham[8]), expanding to 40 acres (16 ha) and employing 5,500 people three years later, which had an impact on all of the surrounding suburbs.

The cinema, which had two levels of seating, opened with the American silent comedy We're in the Navy Now on 12 April 1927, and continued to be operated by Clifford Theatres/Star Theatres chain until 1947, when Greater Union took over.

St Clair Recreation Centre, located at 109 Woodville Road, was extensively refurbished and expanded in 2018.

66.0% of people were born in Australia, compared to a State average of 71.1, demonstrating the relatively high cultural diversity within the suburb.

The most common countries of birth were India 5.3%, Italy 3.5%, Vietnam 3.4%, England 2.5% and China (excludes SARs and Taiwan) 1.4%.

[citation needed] Woodville has one building listed on the South Australian Heritage Register: St Margaret's Anglican Church (officially the Church of St Margaret of Scotland), located at 789-791 Port Road, was dedicated in 1856 and is constructed of picked limestone.

The structure is dominated by a rectangular tower and the church contains stained glass windows which honour local pioneers.

[7] A lych-gate, which is also heritage listed, was built in 1919 as a memorial to Woodville men who served in World War I.

The zone contains a number of buildings of local heritage significance, including the Mareeba Hospital and former Nurses Home at 19-21 Belmore Terrace; the former Woodville Private Hospital building at 2 Jelley Street, currently a nursing home; former Council chambers at 765 Port Road, the Woodville Town Hall and Council chambers; the original school building and gates of Woodville High School; and several private residences and former residences on Woodville Road, Torrens Road, Stanley Street and Belmore Terrace.

A number of homes within Woodville are listed as contributory items to the Historic Conservation Zone within the City of Charles Sturt's Development Plan.