Taking its name from a livestock market in England, Brighton Park lies six miles southwest of Chicago's Loop and is bounded by the Stevenson Expressway, 48^th, Western Avenue, and Kimball Street. The community is a blend of residential, commercial zones, industrial works, and transportation (primarily railroad and trucking) facilities. For the most part the location of Brighton Park is very close to where it was originally annexed in 1889 near the intersection of Western and Archer Avenue.

Teacher, lawyer congressman and former Chicago Mayor, John Wentworth, built the community’s name sake racetrack in 1885, which was purchased by the park district in 1974 and changed into a family friendly park.

The demographics of Brighton Park have always been greatly influenced by the fact that Chicago is a hub of transportation in the Midwest. Two major railways exist in Brighton Park. The first railway covers one square mile and is known as The Corwith Intermodal Freight Facility, and is one of the main industrial features in the community. The second is the Brighton Park Junction (near Western and Archer Avenues) and is a major Chicago railroad junction and the former site of the Brighton Park Railway Station.

Economic growth in the community has risen exponentially since the opening of the area’s three expressways and the advent of the Orange Line rapid transit line for public transport in 1993. Residents are attracted to areas obvious accessibility to public transport and the newly revitalized Chicago Midway International Airport, which has brought new commerce and employment to a once depressed community.

Architecturally the community is a mix of multi-units, single-family homes, and vacant land ready for commercial and or residential development.