Upper Darby is home to the Tower Theater, a historic music venue on 69th Street built in the 1920s, and to several Underground Railroad sites.

In 1650, the area that eventually became Upper Darby had been inhabited by the Lenape tribe of Native Americans for thousands of years.

The Lenape were part of the larger late Woodland culture, living in longhouses and birch bark homes, and engaging in the type of agriculture featuring companion planting of the Three Sisters (winter squash, maize, and beans).

The region was controlled as a possession of the English king until it was included in a large land grant to William Penn in 1681.

Upon Penn's founding of the colony of Pennsylvania the next year, the area was designated as part of the municipality of Darby Township, in Chester County.

In addition to mills, the township was part of a region that was home to rock quarries, factories, and other various industrial concerns.

Industrialization greatly increased the township's population from just over 800 in 1800 to almost 5,000 by 1890 and spurred residential and commercial development that attracted an influx of European immigrants.

Reflecting the Quaker background of its earliest English settlers, Upper Darby was active in the antislavery movement.

[9] Many homes in the area were stops on the Underground Railroad, including Hoodland, the home of abolitionist Abraham L. Pennock and Thomas Pennock, which was eventually bequeathed to the township's public library and which currently houses the children's library, connected to a much larger modern annex which houses the Main Branch.

Industrialization greatly increased the township's population from just over 800 in 1800 to almost 5,000 by 1890 and spurred residential and commercial development that attracted an influx of European immigrants.

The El terminus at 69th Street Station became a busy terminal serving several trolley and light rail lines into the suburbs, as well as numerous city and suburban bus routes.

With advice and support from state legislators, the students began a campaign that included letter writing, the circulation of petitions, and the distribution of bumper stickers.

On April 10, 1974, Governor Milton J. Shapp signed their bill making the Pennsylvania Firefly their state's official insect.

A couple of years later, Highland Park Elementary School was presented with a bronze plaque in honor of the students' achievement.

[11][12] In the wake of the 2020 racial uprising in response to the murder of George Floyd, several protests and actions took place in Upper Darby, including a die-in at 69th and Market Streets.

Average monthly temperatures in the vicinity of Garrett Road and Lansdowne Avenue range from 32.9 °F in January to 77.7 °F in July.

Protestant denominations in Upper Darby include Presbyterian, Baptist, United Methodist, Lutheran, and non-denominational.

In 1991, five Upper Darby policemen were convicted in federal court and sentenced to prison for violating the civil rights of two residents, a father and son.

[25] On January 30, 2002, Upper Darby police officer Dennis McNamara was shot and killed in the line of duty by Thomas Campbell.

McNamara was investigating a suspicious parked vehicle around 9:30 PM when Campbell came up behind him and shot him in the side of the head with a .32 caliber revolver.

McNamara had a section of Lansdowne Avenue renamed in his honor; Campbell pled guilty to his murder in 2003 and was sentenced to life in prison plus ten years.

After closing briefly, the Tower reopened as a concert venue in 1972, and has hosted acts including the first American tours of David Bowie and Genesis.

The festival features performances, artwork, and food reflecting the diverse cultural backgrounds of the Upper Darby community.

Centered in Terminal Square and the West Chester Pike business districts, Upper Darby restaurants feature a diverse range of cuisines including Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, Liberian, Indian, Italian, Korean, Mexican, and Colombian.

The community is also known for its Irish pubs, and the Llanerch Diner was the setting for a pivotal scene in the film Silver Linings Playbook.

[36] Upper Darby is in Pennsylvania's 5th Congressional district, currently represented by Democrat Mary Gay Scanlon.

[40] Delaware County Community College's Upper Darby Center holds day and evening classes serving 600 students.

SEPTA Regional Rail's Media/Wawa Line passes through the southern portion of Upper Darby Township, with stations at Secane and Primos.