In her attempt to make a historic flight around the globe, Amelia Earhart flew a customized Lockheed Electra 10E that was built in a Burbank facility. The plane, which she dubbed her "flying laboratory", was lost during Earhart's second attempt to complete the journey (the first had been aborted due to mechanical failures). In 1991, a piece of metal from the plane was discovered (and later identified) on the Nikumaroro Atoll in the western portion of the Pacific Ocean.

Burbank is located within a seismically active area. At least eight major faults are mapped within 13.5 miles (21.7 km) of Burbank's civic center, including the Verdugo Fault, which is just 1.5 miles away.

It is bordered by Glendale to the east, North Hollywood and Toluca Lake on the west, and Griffith Park to the south. The Verdugo Mountains form the northern border.

In 1904, Burbank received international attention when world heavyweight boxing champion James J. Jeffries became a major landowner in the town. Jeffries bought 107 acres (0.43 km²) to build a ranch on Victory Boulevard. He eventually raised cattle and sold them in Mexico and South America, becoming one of the first citizens to engage in foreign trade.

The city's first newspaper, Burbank Review, was established in 1906.