[1] The shape of the locality can be loosely be described as a doughnut (torus) where the "hole" is the excluded urban area of Mount Isa, consisting of the suburbs (from north to south): Kalkadoon, Lanskey, Ryan, Soldiers Hill, Winston, Sunset, Menzies, Pioneer, Miles End, Fisher, The Gap, Mount Isa City, Breakaway, Townview, Parkside, Mornington, Healy, Happy Valley, Mica Creek and Spreadborough.

[3] The Mount Isa Mines facility is in the locality immediately west of the suburbs (from north to south): Kalkdoon, Soldiers Hill, Miles End, Parkside, Happy Valley and Mica Creek.

The Boulia Mount Isa Highway commences just west of Mica Creek and travels south exiting the locality at Waverley.

[3] The locality takes its name from the city, the name of which was suggested by prospector John Campbell Miles who established the first mineral lease in the area in February 1923.

It is thought to be a corruption of Mount Ida, the mining town in Western Australia.