The nearest settlements are, to the west, Mickleham and Leatherhead; to the north, Ashtead and Langley Vale; to the east, Walton-on-the-Hill; and to the south, Box Hill.

The survey records that the manor was held before the conquest by Countess Goda and it had been granted to her by her brother King Edward the Confessor.

[4] Halle(g)a means a clearing in the heather, which is appropriate considering the village's position on a large patch of acidic topsoil of the generally alkaline North Downs.

The family fortune had been made by Walter's grandfather, James Cunliffe, with his development of the North Eastern Railway.

A large minority of field land in the village is used primarily for grazing by the many riding establishments in the area.

Headley is known for its large heath lands, which are owned by the National Trust, leading out towards Box Hill.

A typically two-hourly bus service (number 21) between Crawley and Epsom connects Headley to Box Hill, Dorking and Leatherhead.

A service was provided by Surrey County Council for local children of 5–11 years of age, to the primary schools terminated on 1 September 2006.

Headley was on the London-Surrey Cycle Classic over the opening weekend of the 2012 London Olympic Games as part of the Box Hill loop, which was covered nine times in the men's event and twice in the women's.

The proportion of households in the civil parish who owned their home outright compares to the regional average of 35.1%.