The surface of the market municipality covers 54.19 square kilometers.

The municipality includes the cadastral districts of Eckartsberg, Gansbach, Gerolding, Geroldinger Wald, Häusling, Heitzing, Hessendorf, Himberg, Hohenwarth, Kicking, Kochholz, Krapfenberg, Lanzing, Lerchfeld, Lottersberg, Mauer bei Melk, Neuhofen, Nölling, Ohnreith, Pfaffing, Thal, Umbach und Ursprung.

In the antiquity the area was part of the Roman province of Noricum.

The mayor of the market municipality is Franz Penz from the christ-democratic ÖVP, the office manager Erich Galander.

The 21 seats in the municipal council are currently assigned to the following parties: SPÖ 5, GREENs 1, ÖVP 15.