The Barkley Neighborhood was created in 2010 as part of the northern neighborhood boundary review project. Approval of a number of large annexations caused several of the north-end neighborhoods to rapidly grow. Some residents asked the City to review the boundaries of the Mt. Baker, Guide Meridian/Cordata, Meridian and King Mountain Neighborhoods in 2009, and as a result, the Mt. Baker Neighborhood was divided into two new neighborhoods in 2010, Irongate and Barkley.

The Barkley Neighborhood contains 814 acres located south of Sunset Drive and north of the Roosevelt and Alabama Hill neighborhoods. The neighborhood has a mix of land uses, including a regional scale commercial development at the Sunset/I-5 interchange (Sunset Square). The focal point of the neighborhood however, is the Barkley Urban Village development located around the Woburn/Barkley Boulevard intersection. This development is one of the first urban villages to be built in the city, and includes a mix of industrial, retail, and professional offices as well as residential development.