The neighbouring districts are Guildford, Mole Valley, Horsham, Chichester, East Hampshire, Hart and Rushmoor.

[7][8] The district was awarded borough status on 21 February 1984, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor.

[13][14] The council has been under no overall control since 2019, being run by a coalition of the Liberal Democrats, Farnham Residents, Labour and Greens.

The leaders since 2003 have been: Following the 2023 election, the composition of the council was:[26] The Labour and Green councillors sit together as a group.

It has the most green space in absolute terms in Surrey at 293.1 km2 (113.2 sq mi) according to the central government-compiled Generalised Land Use database of January 2005, approximately half of which is woodland.

[30] Blackheath Common, in the north of the borough, is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, as is the Devil's Punch Bowl in the south of the district.