Smithfield is located 31 kilometres (19 mi) west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government areas of the City of Fairfield and Cumberland Council.

[3] The original 1838 summary plan of Smithfield shows the suburb laid out in a grid pattern with most of the streets having the same names as they do today.

[6][7] Smithfield West is a locality within the suburb and it is an unofficial designation for the region westwards from Dublin Street to the boundary of Wetherill Park.

As a consequence, Governor Philip Gidley King, put aside a large area of 12,300 acres (50 km2) for a Male Orphan School.

Early settlers were attracted to Smithfield by its good soil, dependable water supply and easy access to the Colony's established towns.

After subdividing the estate, Brennan initially titled his land 'Donnybrook', but renamed the area 'Smithfield' instead, after deciding to launch cattle and meat markets.

[8] Despite this, Smithfield did become a thriving commercial centre and remains a significant employment centre in south-western Sydney as part of the Wetherill Park/Yennora industrial block In 1867, Smithfield was a semi-rural settlement populated by vine growers, gardeners, wood timber cutters, orchards and tanneries.

In the subdivision, Brenan offered an extra adjoining allotment to any buyer who built a cottage with a brick chimney and enclosed the property with a fence.

There is a cycle way called Prospect Creek Cyclepath that runs through the suburb, which is part of the Western Sydney Regional Park recreational route.

[10] The commercial area is centred on The Horsley Drive, which is the main street in Smithfield, the most significant east-west road in the region that runs from Carramar and Wetherill Park.

A prominent pub on The Horsley Drive and Cumberland Highway called the Smithfield Tavern features a restaurant, a TAB, adult entertainment sessions and concert parties.

The industrial estate in suburb is the largest in the southern hemisphere and is one of the primary centres for manufacturing and distribution in Greater Western Sydney.

Smithfield Cemetery, established in the 19th century, is situated in the western parts of the suburb, and is currently managed by the Syriac Orthodox Church.

[12] Rosford Street Reserve is a parkland in the northern skirts of the suburb which features a large sports grounds and an urban forest.

Smithfield was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales from 1988 to 2015, where it was largely replaced by, and centred on, Prospect.