Willistown Township is located in the eastern part of Chester County, Pennsylvania, five miles east of West Chester and approximately twenty miles from Philadelphia and Wilmington Delaware. Willistown is considered to be on the rural fringe of the Philadelphia metropolitan area.Although Willistown Township has expanded in size, modernized, and is locally known, the rural character of the Township makes Willistown a reserve in the midst of the suburban landscapes which surround it showing it distinct agrarian society - a glimpse of the not too distant past, enjoyed by residents and visitors alike.

In the early 1900s the township mainly developed agriculturally with the increasing use of more advanced farming techniques and improved machinery.

The electrification of the Paoli and Philadelphia commuter railways in the 1920s increased suburbanization in the entire area and population grew rapidly. Nearby towns such as West Chester, Malvern, and Paoli become more accessible after the invention of the automobile during the 1900s. As a result, the crossroads villages decreased in their economic importance to the people of Willistown. From that time on, suburbanization has had an important role in the township's development, especially with the improvement of transportation methods.

During the early 1970s, a four lane highway, Route 202, was built between King of Prussia and West Chester. Rapid development spread southward along the "high tech" corridor. The proximity of this highway to Willistown, and the availability of new jobs has increased the demand for housing in the township. considerable growth has occurred particularly along Route 30 (Lancaster Pike) and also along the southern edge of Willistown, bounded by Route 3 (West Chester Pike) which links with 202.

although Willistown Township has expanded in size, modernized, and is locally known, the rural character of the Township makes Willistown a reserve in the midst of the suburban landscapes which surround it showing it distinct agrarian society - a glimpse of the not too distant past, enjoyed by residents and visitors alike