[3] Godfrey is located within the River Bend portion of the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area.

The village is named for Captain Benjamin Godfrey,[4] a native New Englander, who arrived in the area in 1832.

Captain Godfrey, the father of eight daughters, was an advocate of higher education for women and made a large donation of funds and land for the college.

Godfrey retains the status of a village and is a mixture of small business, agriculture, and upper middle class housing developments.

Illinois Route 100 follows the Mississippi River along the southern edge of the village, leading east into the center of Alton and west-northwest 12 miles (19 km) to Grafton.

Illinois Route 267 splits off from US 67 north of the village center and leads northeast 6 miles (10 km) to Brighton.

Finally, Illinois Route 255, a four-lane expressway, has its northern terminus at US 67 in Godfrey; it leads southeast 20 miles (32 km) to Interstates 255 and 270 in Pontoon Beach.