The cheese originates from the village of Cheddar in Somerset, southwest England. Cheddar Gorge on the edge of the village contains a number of caves, which provided the ideal humidity and steady temperature for maturing the cheese. Cheddar cheese traditionally had to be made within 30 mi (48 km) of Wells Cathedral.

According to a United States Department of Agriculture researcher, Cheddar cheese is the world's most popular variety of cheese and the most studied type of cheese in scientific publications.