The valley is located at the southwest of the Coconino Plateau and lies in the extreme northwest of Arizona's transition zone.

Paulden is located at Sullivan Lake and the lower watershed region of Chino Valley's south section.

Arizona State Route 89, a north-south stretch from Prescott to Ash Fork, goes through Chino Valley and Paulden; the Little Chino Valley lies east of the route at Chino Valley, AZ, and the route climbs into the higher elevations of the southwest Coconino Plateau, 5 mi northeast of Paulden at the east end of the Big Black Mesa.

The valleys and lower elevation mountain slopes in northwest Arizona are often covered with junipers and pinyons as part of the pinyon-juniper woodland ecotone.

The Colorado Pinyon and Utah juniper–(Juniperus osteosperma), found here in sections of Chino Valley are partially located in the Prescott National Forest.