Glenorchy is bound by the River Derwent to the east, Mount Wellington to the west, Hobart City to the south and Brighton to the north.

The city officially begins at Creek Road New Town, in Hobart's northern suburbs, and includes, Moonah, Derwent Park, Lutana, Goodwood, Montrose, Rosetta, Berriedale, Chigwell, Claremont and Austins Ferry.

Becoming a municipality in 1864 and then officially a city in 1964, Glenorchy is now a largely suburban, working class area, which grew quickly after WWII when a great number of returning soldiers settled in the northern suburbs.

Leading retail stores in Glenorchy include Best & Less, Coles, Woolworths, Big W, and Target, as well as a Bunnings located on the eastern edge of the Hobart show grounds on the Brooker Highway near Goodwood, with access via Howard Road.

The data identified medium levels of air pollution in postcodes 7009 (Lutana, Derwent Park, Moonah, West Moonah) and 7010 (Glenorchy, Rosetta, Montrose, Goodwood, Dowsing Point) with average air contaminate readings of 40% NOx (nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2)), and sulfur dioxide (SO2) contributing 57% of airborne emissions.