Edgewater is a community seven miles north of downtown Chicago. It is bordered by the neighborhoods of Rogers Park to the north, Uptown to the south, Lincoln Square to the west and south and West Ridge to the west and north. As one of Chicago’s 77 official community areas, Edgewater is bounded by Foster on the south, Devon on the north, Ravenswood on the west, and Lake Michigan on the east. Edgewater contains several beaches that residents enjoy in the warm months. Historically, Edgewater was once part of Lake View Township, an independent suburb which was annexed by the city of Chicago in 1889.

Edgewater has the highest population density of any of the neighborhoods in Chicago.

Edgewater was first developed around the 1890s as a summer home for Chicago's elite. With the exception of pockets acknowledged as historic districts (like the Bryn Mawr Historic District), Edgewater (actually, Edgewater Beach) boasts a skyline of apartment buildings, condominium complexes, and mid-rise homes.