Originally a small farming & weaving community centred around the burn that runs through, it was once a district of Linlithgow until 1973 and a parish of Livingston until 1730 when it established into its own as the population began to rise.

[3] The earliest documented reference to Whitburn is dated 26 September 1363[4] and can be found in the Index of Charters by King David II of Scotland.

It grants William de Carnys and his heir Duncan a concession to the terms upon which they held the baronies of Easter and Wester Whitburn.

"Old quarries" can be seen dotted over the area on the Ordnance Survey 1st Edition map, presumably from the days of clay, sandstone and iron ore extraction.

The majority of farmers rented agricultural land because of the Lowland Clearances and most of it was owned by Esquires.

There was a Scottish Police College located on the current site of Townhead Gardens in the 1940s, before it moved to the old mansion at Polkemmet.

The town's Murraysgate and surrounding areas north-west of the cross were established to deal with the overflow.

On 16 January 2012, a planning application was submitted regarding the rebuild of the swimming pool; drawings of the new facility were posted on the Xcite Leisure Website.

Polkemmet Country Park is located to the west of the town, and incorporates woodland, a golf course, cafe, and play area.

The band has been successful on the contest stage and competes at the British Open, National Final and European Championships, and has been Scottish Champion on 19 occasions.