It is composed of two districts the Espenau-Hohenkirchen, and the Espenau-Mönchehof both are situated 9 kilometers north of Kassel.

Espenau is bordered by the municipalities of Immenhausen to the north, Fuldatal to the east, Vellmar to the south, and Calden and Grebenstein to the west.

As part of a larger series of local government reorganization in Hesse, the villages of Hohenkirchen and Mönchehof were combined into the same municipality of Espenau in October 1970.

[4] The coat of arms depicts four aspen tree leaves against red and white quandrants, a reference to the town's name of Espenau (German: Espe).

[5] It is also connected via bus to Immenhausen Vellmar, Calden, and the nearby Kassel Airport.