The residential area is split into two sections known as the village and the town, with the High Street being part of the original medieval village, and the town being part of the modern development since the building of the railway station.

Wimbledon has been inhabited since at least the Iron Age when the hill fort on Wimbledon Common is thought to have been constructed. In 1087 when the Domesday Book was compiled, Wimbledon was part of the manor of Mortlake. The ownership of the manor of Wimbledon changed between various wealthy families many times during its history, and the area also attracted other wealthy families who built large houses such as Eagle House, Wimbledon House and Warren House. The village developed with a stable rural population coexisting alongside nobility and wealthy merchants from the city. In the 18th century the Dog and Fox public house became a stop on the stagecoach run from London to Portsmouth, then in 1838 the London and South Western Railway (L&SWR) opened a station to the south east of the village at the bottom of Wimbledon hill. The location of the station shifted the focus of the town’s subsequent growth away from the original village centre.

Wimbledon station is a National Rail, London Underground, and Tramlink station located in Wimbledon. The station serves as a junction for services from London Underground District Line and National Rail operators South West Trains, First Capital Connect and Tramlink Route 3.