Arncliffe is located 11 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Bayside Council.

In 1856 another subdivision, Tempe, was described as being close to the village of Arncliffe, described as having "all the characteristics of an English village, being beautifully situated amidst quiet rural scenery, spotted here and there with neat cottages which charm the eye with their pretty, well trimmed gardens, perfect pictures of competence and content".

The large house gave its name to the avenue it was built on and later became the site of Athelstane Public School.

Too many have been demolished, or fallen into disrepair, been subdivided and so on, but in the most recent years there have been some attempts to preserve these as part of local heritage.

Two-storey semi-detached dwellings, Gladstone and Wentworth on Forest Road, were built by Hurstville builder Robert Newell for rental to 'well to do' tenants.

'Belmont' and 'Fairview' are identical Victorian homes built in 1884 by two Irish brothers Thomas and Alexander Milsop, who made their fortunes in the goldfields.

Over the years, Arncliffe has hosted a stinking boiling down works (1870s), a sewerage farm (1886–1916) and various factories and workshops throughout the 20th century, particularly after WW2.

Commercial and light industrial developments are located in the northern parts of the suburb and along the length of the Princes Highway and surrounding streets.

The M5 South Western Motorway runs south-west towards Beverly Hills, Liverpool and north-east towards Botany and the city.

A 4 km tunnel runs partly underneath Arncliffe with entrances and exits on Princes Highway and Marsh Street, near the airport.

Route 473 runs from Rockdale, Bardwell Valley, Arncliffe, Turrella station, Earlwood, Clemton Park, and on to Campsie.

Route 420 runs from Eastgardens and Mascot to the Sydney Airport terminals, through Arncliffe to Rockdale and on to Burwood.

Arncliffe Park is the home ground for local teams playing Cricket, Rugby league and Soccer.

Its close proximity to Arncliffe railway station makes it attractive to developers, who plan to convert this commercial area into high density apartments.

[10] An important community issue is potential overdevelopment, with high-density housing development occurring around the new Wolli Creek railway station.