Historically a small mining village and later the site of the Glasgow Zoo, in the early 21st century it grew substantially as an affluent commuter suburb.

Although close to Baillieston and within the Glasgow boundaries, the neighbourhood has a G71 postcode which has often led to it being associated with Uddingston, the main town for that district which is about 1+1⁄2 miles (2.5 kilometres) southeast in the South Lanarkshire local authority area.

The more northerly of these, overlooking the North Calder Water, was Calderbank House which in 1919 became a maternity hospital[10] – later the annexe of a larger NHS facility at Bellshill[11] – and latterly a care home before its demolition in 2002.

[12] Calderpark House, situated roughly at the same location as the public park, was linked to the powerful families who owned the adjacent Daldowie estate.

[17] Administratively, Broomhouse was part of the Old Monkland district of Lanarkshire[18] until the 1974 reorganisation when it was absorbed into Glasgow (along with Baillieston, Cambuslang and Rutherglen) under the Strathclyde region.

[21][22][23][24] The housing, mostly in winding streets off two main spine roads, primarily comprises clusters of large villas designed for families with cars.

A nearby example is Newton, South Lanarkshire, also a large suburban 'Community Growth Area' on green belt land, based around a small mining community, on the site of a demolished country house, traversed by electricity pylons, bounded by a minor river and a railway with a station, with few local amenities other than a pub but relatively close to established suburbs which provide more of these.

In 1995 a short extension and junction was built onto the M74 motorway nearby[34] – initially, this was useful for traffic heading south to Lanarkshire and England but had little northbound function, terminating just 2+1⁄3 miles (3.8 km) away at Auchenshuggle.

But, as part of the masterplan deal for the land, developers agreed to provide funds to upgrade the basic facilities at James Lindsay Memorial Park in Baillieston (which is also where the closest supermarket is located).

[44] Broomhouse is to the immediate west of Calderbraes Golf Club, which forms part of the decreasing green belt separating Glasgow from settlements in Lanarkshire.