It is about 30 km (19 mi) west of Stuttgart city centre, in the valley of the River Würm, and is often called the "Gate to the Black Forest".

This quirk arose because place names typically come after prepositions that govern the dative case in German, such as in or aus.

The city was completely destroyed during the Thirty Years' War in 1648 but was subsequently rebuilt, and is still dominated by buildings from this period.

[5] Due to its surroundings and attractive cityscape, dominated by the church steeple of St. Peter and Paul, Weil der Stadt is a popular destination for excursions in the Stuttgart region.

Weil der Stadt escaped destruction in World War II when a French artillery barrage was called off in honour of it being Kepler's birthplace.