The name comes from Monti Parioli, a series of tufa hills, and was given to the area before its incorporation into the city proper at the beginning of the 20th century.

In their project, the new thoroughfare is conceived as a "city promenade", a tree-lined street with a lateral riding track and flanked by elegant houses.

In 19th century, Viale Regina Margherita was a tree-lined avenue that led from the neighborhood of the San Lorenzo district to the fields of Monti Parioli.

Northward, the quartiere borders with Quartiere Tor di Quinto (Q. XVIII), separated from Parioli by the stretch of the Tiber between Ponte Milvio and the river Aniene, and with Zona Val Melaina (Z. I), whose border is defined by the stretch of the river Aniene between its immission in the Tiber and Ponte Salario.

To the east, Parioli borders with Quartiere Trieste (Q. XVII), the boundary being marked by Via Salaria, between Ponte Salario and Viale Liegi.