Bungotakada is located in the western part of the Kunisaki Peninsula in northern Ōita Prefecture, facing the Gulf of Suō at the edge of the Seto Inland Sea.

The city center is located in the Takada area, which stretches across the plains along the Katsura River (桂川, Katsura-gawa) and was once a prosperous shipping and commercial town.

These numerous valley radiate from Mount Futago (両子山, Futago-san), an inactive volcano located at the center of the peninsula.

The valley contains the rocky trekking course Nakayama Senkyo (中山仙境) which was designated as a "Place of Scenic Beauty" by the Japanese government in 2018.

Many of these Rokugō Manzan temples, which are said to be the origin of the syncretism of Buddhism and Shinto in Japan, are located within the borders of Bungotakada.

After the Meiji restoration, the town of Takada within Nishikunisaki District, Ōita was established on May 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system.

The economy of Bungotakada is based primarily on agriculture, with the area being a top producer of negi, buckwheat, peanuts, and Alkekengi in Western Japan.