The town of Hatboro is located on land purchased from William Penn around 1705 by the family of Nicholas More. Original construction by early residents of the town occurred between 1715 and 1719. Early settlement pre-dating the Hatboro name occurred in the Crooked Billet area east of York Road, between Moreland Avenue and Byberry Road.
George Washington and his troops passed through the town on numerous occasions during 1777 in pursuit of British Troops during the Revolutionary War. While the British occupied Philadelphia, the Continental Army was driven off by the British and suffered heavy losses in the Battle of Crooked Billet, fought here in 1778.
Early resident John Dawson entertained guests at the Crooked Billet Inn, and was a manufacturer of hats. When the post office opened in 1809, the town was called Hatborough. In the 1880s, the name was officially changed to Hatboro by the U.S. Postmaster.
The Union Library Company in Hatboro, the third library company to be founded in Pennsylvania, was formed in 1755. This building stands on its original site today and still serves the community as a library.
A SEPTA regional rail train stops at the Hatboro station. It runs between Warminster and Center City Philadelphia. The borough also maintains a paid parking lot for commuters near the Hatboro station, along with on-street parking meters along Jacksonville Road near the train station.
The main north-south road in Hatboro is Pennsylvania’s Route 263 (York Road) and serves as the town's main street. The main east-west street in Hatboro is Moreland Avenue. According to the US Census Bureau, the borough covers a total area of 1.4 square miles.