It is located to the northwest of the city, near Markeaton Park and the suburb of Mickleover, and forms part of the Mackworth & New Zealand ward.

The Mackworth Estate was built to meet the increasing demand for council housing in Derby.

The extra care facility was built on the grounds of the Lois Ellis Home for the Blind after its closure.

[9] Mackworth's most prominent landmark is a large water tower,[10] owned by Severn Trent, which is visible from much of the estate.

It is also part of the Derby North constituency in the UK Parliament, which has been represented in the House of Commons by Catherine Atkinson from the Labour Party since 2024.