The Chester Valley Trail project dates back to 1991, when representatives of Chester County, Montgomery County and PennDOT envisioned a soon-to-be-abandoned rail line as a major trail. In August 1996, Chester County acquired a section beginning at Route 29 and ending west of the Exton Bypass. The County received the Certificate of Interim Trail Use (CITU) from the Federal Surface Transportation Board, which acknowledges county ownership of this portion through rail banking.

On June 17, 2009, PennDOT agreed to transfer ownership of eight miles of the rail corridor to the County.

The Chester Valley Trail Overview map shows the trail alignment and construction phasing for a 15 mile trail segment from Commerce Drive in West Whiteland Township to Montgomery County.
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When completed it will link parks in Downingtown, Chester County's major commercial center at Exton, the Exton Park Site, the Chester County library, local trails, parks and communities in West Whiteland, East Whiteland,and Tredyffrin Townships in Chester County, and Upper Merion Township, Bridgeport and Norristown Boroughs in Montgomery County.

The trail will also provide an important pedestrian and bicycle commuter route to many office parks in the Great Valley corridor.
The rail line roughly follows U.S. Routes 30 and 202 through central Chester County from East Caln Township east to Montgomery County, providing a major part of a regional trail system from central Chester County to the Schuylkill River Trail and Delaware River. The Phase I portion from Exton Park Site east to Route 29 is approximately 4.0 miles and the Phase II segment from Route 29 east to Warner Road in King of Prussia is 7.6 miles.

Open space plans in Downingtown Borough, Tredyffrin, East and West Whiteland and Upper Merion Townships have suggested creating links to the Chester Valley Trail. Presently, there are nine municipal parks adjacent to the proposed trail right-of-way.