The district stretches from Holme Moss in the north to Sterndale Moor in the south, and from Hague Bar in the west to Bamford in the east.

High Peak was the name of a hundred of the ancient county of Derbyshire covering roughly the same area as the current district.

The district contains the highest point in Derbyshire, Kinder Scout, which stands at 636m (2,087 ft) above sea level.

Features of the Trust's High Peak Estate include Kinder Scout, Odin Mine and Mam Tor.

In terms of television, the area is served by BBC North West and ITV Granada broadcasting from the Winter Hill transmitter.