Darby Township is home to a diverse population and its industrial districts are popular among shipping companies for their proximity to Philadelphia International Airport.

It also is known for being made up of two non-contiguous geographical areas, requiring one to pass through at least two neighboring municipalities to make it from one end of Darby Township to the other.

The area, now known as Darby Township, was settled almost immediately after the coming of William Penn (1682), and in 1683 was recognized as one of the localities where a permanent lodgement had been made but despite that fact, it is believed that the population was sparse for more than a quarter of a century.

In the same year the first official record of Darby occurs in the list of collectors "to gather the assessment for the building of the court-house".

Thomas Worth and Joshua Fearne were appointed to those offices for Darby, and Mons Stacker and William Cobb "for Amosland & Calcoone Hook".

The latter was recognized as a distinct municipal district until 1686, when Calcoone Hook was made a part of Darby Township, and Amosland was annexed to Ridley.

Calcon or Calkoen's Hook comprised all the territory between Cobb's Creek on the east, and the Mokormpates Kill or Muckinipattas Creek on the west, and derives its name from the Swedish word Kalkon (a turkey) and Walda Kalkoen (wild turkeys).

Later the territory known by that name became restricted to that part lying south of the Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Baltimore Railroad, while its eastern boundary was Morhorhootink, as shown in the atlas of the early grants in Delaware County.

[3] The territory now constituting the townships of Upper and Lower Darby continued under one municipal government until 1747, when, for the convenience of the inhabitants, at a town-meeting, it was decided to separate the upper part from the lower in all matters save the levies made for the support of the poor.

The township consists of two separate non-contiguous territories, with incorporated boroughs intervening.

SEPTA provides Suburban Bus service to Darby Township along Route 107, which runs between Lawrence Park and the 69th Street Transportation Center, Route 113, which runs between Claymont station in Claymont, Delaware, and the 69th Street Transportation Center, and Route 115, which runs between Delaware County Community College, the Darby Transportation Center, and the Philadelphia International Airport.

The Lee Taliaferro Library is located on Hook Road, and the Loretta Touni Library is located on Garfield Ave. Darby Township and its neighboring communities are protected by three volunteer fire companies.

The Briarcliffe Fire Company consists of two engines, one ambulance and one utility vehicle.

[15] Goodwill Fire Company is also located in the northern end of Darby Township.

4 is located in the southern end of Darby Township, and it consists of two firetrucks and one pickup truck.