The current city district was established on 24 November 1990.

It is entirely made up of the municipal part and cadastral territory of Žabovřesky, a former town that was annexed into Brno in 1919.

The forest park Wilsonův les (Lit.

Brno-Žabovřesky neighbors the self-governing district of Brno-střed in the southeast, Brno-Královo Pole to the east and northeast, Brno-Komín to the northwest and Brno-Jundrov to the southwest.

Žabovřesky is further divided into 14 basic settlement units.