Calcot is within the built-up area of Reading, located about 3 miles (4.8 km) out of the town centre, and straddles the historic A4 Bath Road.

[1][2] The Calcot ward of West Berkshire has an area of 324 ha and a total population of 9,093 living in 3,554 dwellings.

It was built on the site of a mill originally owned by Reading Abbey and has been converted into apartments.

Pincent's Kiln is an Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) on the western border of the area.

[4] Calcot is home to two large shopping complexes - the SavaCentre and the Pincents Lane Retail Park and has a car dealers between the two; all close to Junction 12 of the M4 motorway.

At the same time, the SavaCentre site was rebranded as the Calcot Retail Park, with branches of Sports Direct, Boots and McDonald's opening up.

In 2015, the retail park was demolished (apart from the Dunelm Mill store) and a new branch of IKEA was opened in its place in July 2016.

In 1881 the American post-impressionist painter John Singer Sargent spent the summer with his family in the village.