East Ham station serves as a transport hub on both the District line and Hammersmith & City line. It was opened in 1858 by the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway as part of a new, more direct route from Fenchurch Street to Barking. The station features a large Edwardian building constructed to accommodate the electric District Railway services on an additional set of tracks that opened in 1905.

In the mid-19th century, East Ham was described as a "scattered village." However, the introduction of transportation options led to increasing urbanisation, particularly from 1890 onwards. East Ham received electric services from the District Railway in 1908.

The housing in East Ham primarily consists of Victorian and Edwardian terraced townhouses, many of which are located along tree-lined avenues.

Despite its urbanised environment, East Ham offers numerous green spaces. The graveyard of the Norman St Mary’s church has been maintained as a nature reserve, making it the largest of its kind in Greater London. The district also boasts Central Park and Plashet Park, the two largest parks in East Ham, featuring a combination of open spaces, playgrounds, and cafés. Additionally, there are smaller play areas and parks, such as Priory Park on Grangewood Street and Flanders Field, where the renowned England football captain Bobby Moore played as a child in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

East Ham is a multicultural area with a diverse population, including a majority of South Asians, African/Caribbean residents and eastern Europeans.