The colony-stimulating-factor 1 receptor (CSF-1 R) is a tyrosine kinase receptor that is absolutely required for macrophage differentiation and thus occupies a central role in hematopoiesis. Mice deficient for the csf1r gene show multiple defects in macrophage development, reproduction and tissue remodeling. Moreover, deregulation of this gene is a hallmark of many tumors. This includes repression of expression in acute myeloid leukemia and aberrant activation in certain solid tumors, such as breast cancer. Expression of this gene therefore needs to be tightly controlled. This review summarizes experiments providing a detailed picture of how transcription of csf1r gene expression is regulated. Aside from the direct relevance to hematopoiesis, studies of csf1r transcriptional regulation provide a model for understanding the molecular mechanisms that control mammalian cell fate.