Hornsby Heights is located 27 kilometers north west of the Sydney central business district. It is part of the local government area of Hornsby Shire and is part of the North Shore region. In 1830 convict turned Constable Samuel Henry Horne was granted land in this area a reward for the part he played in the apprehension of bushrangers McNamara and Dalton. He named his land grant Hornsby Place.
Hornsby Heights is a parklands suburb and is surrounded by the Berowra Valley Regional Park. Parks within this suburb include Ulolo, Rofe Park, Crosslands Reserve, Montview Oval, Black Ash, Galston Gorge, Somerville and Outlook. There is a cycling track that runs the length of Galston road from Hookhams Corner to Galston Gorge. Hornsby Heights is north of Hornsby. There are two schools in Hornsby Heights Hornsby Heights Public School and Hornsby North Public School that sits on the boundary between Hornsby and Hornsby Heights.