Although signs of human settlement in the Zoeterwoude region were dated to as early as the 8th century in the vicinity of present-day Weipoort, a village on the current location of Zoeterwoude-Dorp was not constructed until about 1276 when the mire in the area was cultivated.

[6] A Catholic church from the earlier village dedicated to the English missionary Saint Lebuinus was rebuilt in what was then called "Zwieterwoude".

Leiden did this in order to protect itself against the Spanish in the Eighty Years' War, which had come to envelope the entire country.

[16] During the last general election, in 2012 voters in the three polling stations within Zoeterwoude-Dorp gave the VVD the highest share of the vote.

With 31.7% in Huize Emmaus, 34.4% in the town hall and 31.4% in the Muziekcentrum (English: Musical centre), the VVD in Zoeterwoude-Dorp outperformed its national average of 26.6%.

[5] Along the western border, provincial motorway N206 connects Zoeterwoude-Dorp to Stompwijk in the south and Leiden in the north.

Bus route 400 (served by Arriva) has two stops along the western edge of the town, and takes the passenger either to Leiden in the north or Zoetermeer in the south.