Cheltenham is 18 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of Hornsby Shire.

Cheltenham is a small residential affluent suburb with a distinctive English atmosphere, characterised by a number of 19th century mansions on tree-lined streets.

[citation needed] Cheltenham takes its name from a house built by William Chorley, a Sydney tailor and men's outfitter, who acquired the land when it was released from the Field of Mars Reserve.

By the end of the century, Cheltenham became a well-established part of Sydney's North Shore, known for its family-friendly atmosphere, proximity to amenities, and accessibility to the city.

With the opening of the M2 Hills Motorway in 1997, Sutherland Road was closed at the Devlins Creek bridge - where the M2 enters a tunnel under North Epping.

[citation needed] From its early days, Cheltenham was almost exclusively a residential suburb with no shopping area developed at all in its planning.

Ahimsa (an Indian word meaning non-violence) is the name of a bush retreat located in Cobran Road.