The district borders North Hertfordshire, Welwyn Hatfield, Hertsmere, Watford, Three Rivers, Dacorum, and Central Bedfordshire.

[7] The city status which had been held by the old municipal borough of St Albans was extended to cover the whole of the new district on 9 July 1974.

[10] The largest settlement is St Albans, followed in size by Harpenden, with the main villages being Redbourn, Wheathampstead, London Colney, Chiswell Green and Bricket Wood.

Nearby towns include Hatfield and Welwyn Garden City to the east, Luton and Dunstable to the north, Hemel Hempstead to the west, Watford to the southwest and Borehamwood to the south.

The district lies close to Greater London, at the closest point being less than 4 miles (6.4 km) from its outer boundary.

[14] Hertfordshire County Council is responsible for services including education, transport, fire and public safety, social care and libraries.

[10] Parish council responsibilities include allotments, youth projects, leisure facilities, open spaces, traffic calming and community transport schemes.

[21] The district's wards are:[21] There are parish councils in Colney Heath, Harpenden, Harpenden Rural, London Colney, Redbourn, St Michael, St Stephen (including the villages of Chiswell Green and Bricket Wood), Sandridge and Wheathampstead.

[22] St Albans has a highly skilled workforce, with the 4th highest proportion of managers, senior officials and professional occupations in the country.

Two (St Albans City and Harpenden) are on the main Thameslink route from Bedford to Brighton via London.