Snetterton was built on the concrete perimeter roads of a wartime American airfield. The United States Army Air Force operated RAF Snetterton Heath from May 1943 until November 1948, after which the land reverted to local landowner Fred Riches. In early 1951, Oliver Sear and Dudley Coram of the Aston Martin Owners Club proposed using the defunct airbase roadways as a racing circuit. Riches agreed, with the condition that racing avoid Sunday church hours. The AMOC held the first open meeting on 27 October 1951, described by Motor Sport magazine as "an excellent event over an interesting new course." Ken Wharton set the fastest time of the day at 82.4 mph in an ERA R11B. Formal motorcycle racing, organised by the Snetterton Combine, began in 1953.
Through the 1960s and early 1970s, Snetterton measured 2.710 miles. The track was used by Team Lotus for Formula One testing and by Norfolk Racing Co for Le Mans preparation. Russell Bend, named for Jim Russell whose racing drivers school operated at the circuit, was added in the 1960s to slow cars approaching the pits, though it later became a frequent accident site and was subsequently altered.
MotorSport Vision acquired Snetterton in January 2004, along with Brands Hatch, Oulton Park, and Cadwell Park, from the Octagon subsidiary of The Interpublic Group of Companies. In October 2005, Jonathan Palmer announced extensive rebuilding plans to lengthen the circuit and upgrade its facilities.
On 23 September 2010, MSV announced that a new infield section would be ready for the 2011 season. The main development was a new one-mile infield loop inserted after Sear Corner, which was replaced and renamed Montreal — a reference to the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve hairpin it was modelled upon. The final chicane before Senna Straight was removed and replaced by an extension of Coram curve plus a new tight left-hand corner named Murrays. The redevelopment also expanded spectator viewing areas and raised safety standards to FIA Grade 2 level.
The 300 Circuit, at 2.969 miles, is Snetterton's longest layout and the second longest racing track in the United Kingdom. It uses the full infield extension and carries FIA Grade 2 homologation, making it eligible for international championship events. The British Touring Car Championship, British Superbike Championship, British Formula 3, and British GT all use this configuration. In 2016, the Montreal hairpin was renamed Wilson, in memory of Yorkshire IndyCar driver Justin Wilson killed at the 2015 Pocono 500.
The 200 Circuit, at 2.000 miles, is closest to the pre-2011 layout, with re-profiled versions of the Wilson, Coram, and Murray's corners designed to encourage overtaking. The 100 Circuit, at 0.980 miles, comprises the infield section alone and is used primarily for testing and driver training. The 100 and 200 circuits can operate simultaneously.
From 1980 to 1994 Snetterton hosted the UK's first 24-hour race, the Willhire 24 Hour. From 2003 to 2013 the Citroen 2CV 24 Hour Race was held at Snetterton on the 200 Circuit, later returning after a brief stint at Anglesey. The circuit's current lap record on the 300 layout was set by Felipe Nasr driving a Carlin-prepared Dallara F308 during the 2011 British F3 meeting, with a time of 1:39.933 at an average speed of 106.95 mph.
Snetterton Circuit appears in iRacing as part of the platform's roster of licensed British tracks, giving sim racers access to the technical corners and varied elevation changes of the Norfolk circuit. The 300 layout, with its distinctive Wilson hairpin, extended Coram curve, and challenging Murray's complex, translates well to the online racing environment, supporting series such as the iRacing Touring Car Championship.