In Anglo-Saxon times Chesterton formed part of a larger vill spanning the River Cam.

These are roughly the same as the area normally called Chesterton: specifically the land north of the River Cam, east of Castle Hill and south of the Arbury and King's Hedges estates.

City councillors for the East Chesterton ward are Gerri Bird, Alice Gilderdale and Baiju Thittala.

City councillors for the West Chesterton ward are Sam Carling, Richard Swift and Rachel Wade.

Cambridge North railway station, built on the edge of East Chesterton, became operational in May 2017,[12] something that had been campaigned for by numerous local politicians for decades.