Edertal lies roughly 30 km in a straight line southwest of Kassel.

It lies at the eastern edge of the Kellerwald-Edersee National Park, a small part of which is inside municipal limits.

With the neighbouring centre of Bergheim to the northeast, it forms the heart of the community and, accordingly, a lower centre in the Regional Plan (in terms of Walter Christaller's Central Place Theory).

The community of Edertal consists of the following centres: Bringhausen was one of three villages that originally stood where the Edersee is now.

Edertal's council is made up of 31 councillors, with seats apportioned thus, in accordance with municipal elections held on 26 March 2006: Note: FWG is a citizens' coalition.