The area is generally rural in nature, dominated by flat, open arable fields and scattered farms, amongst a variety of urban-fringe land uses.

Remnants from the Oil Shale industry can also be found dotted around the landscape, such as remaining bings, surviving shaleminer's cottages from previous Oilworks, and disused mineral Rail lines.

In 1296 Count John de Langton, along with his brother Allan of Berwickshire, swore fealty to King Edward I of England.

He may have had some say in naming this small estate and it is suggested that the Church at Langton in Berwickshire was dedicated to St Cuthbert, the same as the one in Calder Clere.

A small plaque inserted by the Community Council into the wall adjoining the "Wee Shoppe",which is currently a Tattoo Studio called Inkwell, a small building near the E end of the old Village, commemorates this period by marking the location of an old village well which served these travellers.

In the old Village graveyard stand the ruins of St Cuthbert's Church, the oldest building in East Calder; this pre-reformation church dated from around 1148 and is dedicated to the saint, who was famed for travelling all over the Lothians by horseback or by foot, preaching the Gospel to persuade the local people to give up their pagan worship and become Christians.

St Cuthbert's was first mentioned by Randolph De Clere, and at this time the village was known as the East Kirk of Calder, basically little more than a Rectory with small houses clinging to the walls of this ancient place of worship.

A famous East Calder landmark is the Camps Viaduct, a Category B Listed historic railway bridge operating between 1885 and 1959 on the Camps Branch of the North British Railway: this impressive nine arch stone single track viaduct spans over the gorge of the River Almond, and is 108 metres (354 ft) long overall and over 27 metres (89 ft) high.

Other visible historical remains include lime quarries and kilns, operating from approximately 1780 to 1913, 18th & 19th C improvements on surrounding farming land, and the routes of drove roads from Falkirk and Stirling, across the Pentlands.

East Calder has an estate agent, two Scotmid stores and a Tesco Express, a post office, Miller's convenience store, a tattoo studio, a bookmaker, a cafe, hair stylists, a nursery, two chip shops, a pizzeria, two Chinese restaurants, a car wash, a library, a doctors' surgery, a dentist, two bowling greens, a doo club, a pharmacy, a garden centre and a sports centre.