Created in 2007, the ward elects three councillors using the single transferable vote electoral system and covers an area with a population of 14,096 people.

The ward was created following the Fourth Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements ahead of the 2007 Scottish local elections.

As a result of amendments to the boundaries of the South Lanarkshire Council's management areas, the boundaries between Rutherglen and Cambuslang, East Kilbride and Hamilton were tweaked so Cambuslang West also contained part of the former Long Calderwood ward.

The ward's northern boundary is the division with Glasgow City Council which runs along the River Clyde.

[2] Prior to the local government reforms in the 1990s, Cambuslang was within the Glasgow District under Strathclyde Regional Council.