It is located in the southwestern corner of the City of Spokane and part of the broader area known locally as the South Hill.

[2] Southgate is one of the newer neighborhoods in the city, with development first taking hold in the post-World War II housing boom and continuing into the present day.

[4] The area was historically the site of a travel route from the Spokane River in the north to Latah Creek in the south.

Homesteading began in the area when Joe Jackson, from Missouri, moved in and established a supply stop for prospectors and trappers passing through.

The Moran Prairie, which occupies the southeastern portion of the neighborhood, and Browne's Mountain, immediately to the southeast, bear the names of these early settlers.

[5] The Spokane and Inland Empire Railroad, an electrified interurban railway reached Browne's farm on the border of present-day Southgate and Glenrose in 1908.

[3] Development has outpaced annexation, and the Southgate area transitions almost imperceptibly into unincorporated Spokane County to the south and east, with only arterials featuring signs delineating the city limits.

There are also numerous wetlands, ponds and ephemeral streams in Southgate, which drain into the Glenrose basin and ultimately the Spokane River.

[5] Freya Street, which passes north–south through Southgate, is the neighborhood's only principal arterial as defined by the city of Spokane, and it only holds this distinction south of 43rd Avenue.

[11] Bike Lanes follow 37th Avenue across the northern edge of Southgate from Regal east to the city limits.

[12] The Spokane Transit Authority, the region's public transportation provider, serves Southgate with two fixed schedule bus lines.

[1] The northwestern portion of Southgate is served by Hamblen Elementary, which is located at Thurston Avenue and Crestline.

The northeastern portion is part of the Adams Elementary district, located at 37th Avenue and Regal Street just north of Southgate in Lincoln Heights.