The city is located in the delta of the Murghab River, 55 kilometers southeast of Mary.

Atanyyazow attributes the name to the settlement's location on the Silk Road between ancient Merv and Herat.

The words ýol and öten mean "road" and "past" in Turkmen, respectively, i.e., "a place to cross".

[1][2] Ýolöten lies on the Mary-Serhetabat railway line, and at the junction of the A-388 highway connecting Mary and Serhetabat and the P-25 highway connecting Ýolöten to Baýramaly.

It is also a center for agricultural product processing, due to its location in the Murghab River oasis.