Christie Brinkley was born Christie Lee Hudson in Monroe, Michigan. She attended Palisades High School in Pacific Palisades, California and graduated in 1972. In the early 1970s, Brinkley and her family lived in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles. Brinkley was educated at le Lycée Français de Los Angeles and worked in Paris as an entry-level illustrator.

Errol Sawyer, an African-American photographer from New York City, discovered Christie Brinkley at a local post office in Paris during the spring of 1973. Following a brief interview and a short series of headshots, he introduced Brinkley to model agent John Casablancas of Elite Model Management. Initially, Casablancas hesitated because at the time, Brinkley's look was "too American." However, based on his confidence in Errol Sawyer's taste, he agreed to send Brinkley on several "Go-Sees" the next day and, as they say, "The rest is history."

In 1976, Brinkley signed a contract with cosmetics giant Cover Girl, which was renewed for 20 years. A few years after Cover Girl terminated its contract with Brinkley, it again signed her as a model with ads in magazines and commercials for mature skin products in 2005. Brinkley appeared on the cover of three consecutive Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issues (1979 – 1981). She has designed clothing patterns for Simplicity Pattern.

Brinkley appeared on the Today Show in a four part set of beauty tips (1983), and in 1992 began her own television series "Living in the 90's With Christie Brinkley," a daily half-hour show, on CNN. She has made a great many other television appearances, including Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Specials.

Brinkley played the "Red Ferrari Girl" in the 1983 movie National Lampoon's Vacation. She reprised that role in the 1997 sequel Vegas Vacation as "Woman in Ferrari".

Brinkley supports animal rights, most notably through the organization PETA. She has previously spoken out against the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus on behalf of PETA.

Brinkley starred in the music video for the song "Uptown Girl", which was written and performed by her then-future husband (now ex-husband), Billy Joel