It is situated to the north-east of the city, bordered by Craigend and Garthamlock to the east and the open ground of Hogganfield Park and Lethamhill Golf Course to the north.

Ruchazie is separated from Cranhill to the south and Riddrie to the west by the M8 motorway[2][3] (Junctions 11 and 12 of which directly serve the area), previously the route of the Monkland Canal.

Developed for housing as part of the city's 'Greater Easterhouse' programme in the 1950s,[9] mostly consisting of tenements,[10] the neighbourhood was at the centre of the Glasgow Ice Cream Wars in the 1980s which culminated in the death of a local family when their flat was set on fire, and also suffered from the habitual territorial gang violence in the area,[11][12] with rival 'young teams' not only from the surrounding schemes but within the fairly small Ruchazie itself, with a gang from each of its three clusters of streets.

[13] The area has experienced considerable regeneration and improvement in the early 21st century through Tower Homes LHO and Ruchazie Housing Association.

In August 2009, construction of a Soccerworld five-a-sides complex situated on ground between Croftcroighn Road and the M8 motorway (formerly Whitehill Secondary Former Pupils F.C.