The district includes part of the South Downs National Park, and Chichester Harbour is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The oldest part of the building was originally a large house, which had subsequently served as the headquarters of the old Chichester Rural District Council prior to the 1974 reorganisation.

To the south the dip slope of the downs falls gently to a flat coastal plain and the sea.

On the northern boundary Blackdown is the highest point in Sussex, while further east around Loxwood the land is low and quite flat.

The large inlet known as Chichester Harbour and the headland of Selsey Bill are conspicuous features of the coast.

Apart from the coastal strip there are few main roads, and the erstwhile railways which once served Midhurst have long been closed.

To the north of the city are Weald and Downland Open Air Museum and Halnaker Windmill.

There are gardens open to the public at Woolbeding and Pound Commons and West Dean College.

[citation needed] Fertile soils on the coastal plain are used for arable farming and intensive vegetable production, the latter employing many migrant workers from Eastern Europe.

High sunlight levels and a mild climate also make the coastal region suitable for glasshouse growing.

A fertile strip of land on the north side of the River Rother is also used for vegetable growing, but most of the area north of the Downs is of low agricultural value and there are large areas of forest and pasture, interspersed with arable cropping.