Pathhead is located around four miles southeast of Dalkeith and eleven miles south of Edinburgh. The A68 runs through the village, giving easy access to Edinburgh and travelling all the way down to Darlington. Following the opening of the Dalkeith bypass in 2008, it's possible to reach Edinburgh in less than fifteen minutes.
Pathhead hosts a post office, a pub, bakery, cafe, and drop-in centre. There is a park on the west side of the village which has a full-size football pitch and and children's play area, while the new primary school in northwestern Pathhead has a 4G astroturf pitch.