Spanning an area of 7.2 km2 (2.8 sq mi), it encompasses the northern part of Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, between the southern rail line to the south, the Upper Carniola (or Kamnik) rail line to the west, the highway loop to the north, and Šmartno Street (Šmartinska cesta) and Žale Cemetery to the east.

It extends on both sides of Vienna Street (Dunajska cesta), which is its central axis and main traffic artery.

In a broader sense, Bežigrad is sometimes considered to include the northern Ljubljana suburbs of Stožice, Ježica, and the Črnuče District.

Larger communities of apartment buildings are concentrated on the district's eastern edge, in Nove Stožice and the Sava Development.

Important institutions and features of Bežigrad include the Slovenian Environmental Agency, the Stožice Sports Park and the Stožice Stadium, the Bežigrad Central Stadium designed by Jože Plečnik, the Bežigrad Secondary School, Navje Cemetery, Plečnik's unfinished Academic Collegium (intended to serve as the Baraga Seminary), Žale Cemetery, and the Ljubljana Fairgrounds.