The boroughs of Zelienople and Harmony are located in, but separate from, the western part of the township.

Connoquenessing Creek, a tributary of the Beaver River, flows from east to west through the northern part of the township.

[3] European settlers began arriving along Breakneck Creek, a tributary of the Connoquenessing, circa 1800.

The Harmony Society also made its first settlement in the United States in present-day Jackson Township.

Early industries in the area included coal, iron ore, and limestone extraction, timber production, and farming on the low-lying, flatter areas of the Connoquenessing Valley, where the fertility of the soil was conducive to it.

20.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.4% had someone living alone who was sixty-five years of age or older.