When the tiny station in West Byfleet opened in 1887, there was little more than woods and fields surrounding it, but with considerable connections with the rest of the country, West Byfleet soon became popular with commuters heading for Woking and London Waterloo on the South Western Main Line. Victorian then Edwardian homes popped up around the station and a bustling village with both independent and national-favourite shops spread out along Station Approach and the roads leading to it. The station had a bit of a facelift in 2008 when step-free access across the new footbridge and a waiting room and a were added to the three-platform hub.
Bordered by Basingstoke Canal in the north and the River Wey in the west, the village is also bypassed by the M25, but a great many visitors find their way any of the four golf courses in the area.