[3] The borough was settled in about 1697 and incorporated on December 8, 1874, when approximately 248 acres (1.00 km2) was taken from Abington Township.

Elements of the British army passed through Jenkintown en route to the Battle of White Marsh in early December 1777.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 0.6 square miles (1.6 km2), all land.

The Jenkins' Town Lyceum Building, Jenkintown-Wyncote station, and Strawbridge and Clothier Store are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

[8] Jenkintown has a city manager form of government with a mayor and a twelve-member borough council.

Jenkintown, like its surroundings of Abington and Cheltenham and their included towns, votes overwhelmingly Democratic.

PA Route 73 passes east–west along the southern edge of Jenkintown along Washington Lane and Township Line Road, heading west to Wyncote and east to Northeast Philadelphia.

Greenwood Avenue runs east–west through the center of Jenkintown, heading west to Wyncote.

[14] The Jenkintown-Wyncote station building with its Queen Anne-style architecture was designed by famous Philadelphia architect Horace Trumbauer.

The two fire companies have a total membership of approximately 150, with 50 members composing the active firefighting crew.