[2] An important agricultural trade centre on the west bank of the Nile River, the city is located 110 km (70 miles) south of Cairo.

The modern name of the town is a corruption of its original name Manfiswayh (Arabic: منفسويه), which itself comes from a Coptic toponymic construction ⲡ-ⲙⲁ-ⲛ-... ("the place of..."); however, its exact etymology is unknown.

[4] Beni Suef became the chief town of the second province of Upper Egypt during the reign of Muhammad Ali in the 19th century.

The geographical proximity to vital governorates such as Cairo and Giza is significant, and the governorates of the Red Sea, Suez, Fayoum and Ismailia tourist areas all act as markets for the industrial products made in Beni Suef.

Beni Suef has a hot desert climate (BWh) in Köppen-Geiger classification, as does all of Egypt.