Almanzo Wilder, often thought to be a native of nearby Malone, actually grew up on a farm in Burke.

He was the husband of Little House on the Prairie author Laura Ingalls Wilder, who told his story in the novel Farmer Boy.

The son of James and Angeline Day Wilder, he was born on his family's farm on February 13, 1857.

The northern town line is Canada–United States border, with the province of Quebec to the north.

Neighboring New York towns are Constable to the west, Malone to the southwest, Bellmont to the south, and Chateaugay to the east.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 44.4 square miles (115.0 km2), all land.