The unhurried lifestyle and moderate climate of Dehradun make it the ideal retirement town it is. Some parts of the town still retain a distinctive British character, while a lot of it has outgrown its colonial origins. The town is also a centre for renowned public schools and educational institutions.

In recent times, widespread environmental degradation due to limestone quarrying around the town has caused concern amongst local inhabitants and conservationist. After a lengthy process of protests and litigation, the Supreme Court imposed a ban on limestone quarrying, and efforts at re-forestation of the denuded hill slopes around Dehradun have begun.

Today, Dehradun is the administrative centre of the hill region of Uttaranchal and the capital of the new hill state that has been carved out of Uttar Pradesh. Dehradun sees a lot of local tourists escaping the hot and dusty plains to its temperate climes.