Its INSEE code is 111 and its capital city is Carcassonne.

[2] Its population is 163,034 (2021), and its area is 2,309.7 km2 (891.8 sq mi).

[4] The arrondissement of Carcassonne occupies the northwestern part of the department and is bordered to the north by the Tarn department, to the northeast by the Hérault department, to the east by the arrondissement of Narbonne, to the southwest by the arrondissement of Limoux, to the west by the Ariège department and to the northwest by the Haute-Garonne department.

[6] As a result of the reorganisation of the cantons of France which came into effect in 2015, the borders of the cantons are no longer related to the borders of the arrondissements.

The cantons of the arrondissement of Carcassonne were, as of January 2015:[4]