Revere is a highly developed residential suburb, approximately 5 miles from downtown Boston. Sixty percent of Revere's total of 4,054 acres is developed for industrial, commercial, residential and transportation uses and of this total 70% is used for housing. Almost 900 acres are open water or wetlands. The city is within a short distance of all major urban amenities, including theaters, institutions of higher learning, museum and medical facilities.

Convenient access is available to Logan Airport, downtown Boston, passenger and freight rail service, Routes 1,93, 128 and the Massachusetts Turnpike. For its size, Revere is a more complex community than most, owing to its multi-cultural and diverse population, its older residential neighborhoods and housing stock and the numerous specialized regional facilities within its borders. Revere Beach was the first public beach in the United States and is host to Suffolk Downs horse racing track, Wonderland dog racing track and a 14 screen cinema complex.

Revere also hosts three MBTA public transportation stations and is the northern terminus of the Blue Line. During the past decade, an extensive system of parks has been developed and improved. Revere offers several historical sites, including the home of Horatio Alger, born in Revere in 1832 and the author of 119 books, Ye Old Rumney Marsh Burial Grounds, Slades Mill, and Tuttle House, which was built in 1690.