State Street is the main commercial thoroughfare with wide sidewalks, shops, taverns, and restaurants.

Newtown was one of several towns that William Penn organized around Philadelphia to provide country homes for city residents and to support farming communities.

After his December 26, 1776 morning march to Trenton, and before the Battle of Princeton, Continental Army commander-in-chief George Washington made his headquarters in Newtown.

The oldest operating movie theater in America is Newtown Theatre at 120 North State Street.

The average wettest month is July, which corresponds with the annual peak in thunderstorm activity.

Ice storms and large snowstorms depositing ≥ 12 inches (30 cm) of snow occur once every few years, particularly during nor’easters from December through February.

The plant hardiness zone is 7a with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of 0.4 °F (−17.6 °C).

[8] The spring bloom typically begins by April 8 and fall color usually peaks by November 2.

[15] State Street runs through Newtown's main commercial area and intersects with Washington Avenue at the borough's infrastructural center.

Until January 14, 1983, Newtown was served by SEPTA's Fox Chase/Newtown Line commuter rail service.

Since then, there has been constant talk of reinstating service because of recent strong population growth in the surrounding area; however, this has not materialized.

There was also a movement under way to convert the unused rail corridor into a bike trail that has thus far been unsuccessful because of resistance in surrounding communities.

The issue of resuming commuter service has been a political albatross almost from the day the trains stopped.

Newtown remains the victim in all the political squabbling that has amassed over the years, as they have always given strong support of returned commuter service and have the most to gain.

Author Joseph Schwieterman commented in 2001 that "few communities experiencing the loss of service have engaged in as protracted a dialogue about bringing back their passenger trains as Newtown.

"[16] In September 2009, the Southampton-based Pennsylvania Transit Expansion Coalition (PA-TEC) began discussions with all townships along the rail line, as well as SEPTA officials, about possible resumption of passenger service.