Glenrothes, planned in the late 1940s as one of Scotland's first new towns, is the administrative capital of Fife containing both the Fife Council and Fife Constabulary headquarters. It established itself as a major industrial centre in Scotland's Silicon Glen between the 1970s to the 1990s with several major electronics and hi-tech companies establishing a base in the town. Manufacturing and engineering industries remain to this day important to the town's economy. Glenrothes is unique in Fife as the majority of the town's centre is contained indoors, within Fife's largest indoor shopping centre - The Kingdom Shopping Centre.
According to a 2008 population estimate, Glenrothes is Fife's third largest town with a population of 38,750. The Glenrothes conurbation, which includes the surrounding villages of Leslie, Markinch, Thornton and Coaltown of Balgonie has a population of 47,359. The town has parks and landscaping recognised at the National level as being outstanding with Glenrothes winning awards in the "Beautiful Scotland" and "Britain in Bloom" contests. It also has numerous outdoor sculptures and artworks, a result of the appointment of town artists in the early development of the town. Public facilities include a regional sports centre, civic centre with theatre, religious institutes and educational institutions including a college campus.