Between Schaffhausen and the confluence with the Töss, it flows from north to south for about 20 km (12 mi), with a distinct meander at Rheinau.

[5] In its western section, the High Rhine mostly marks the border between Germany and Switzerland except in the Swiss canton of Basel-Stadt.

The German enclave of Büsingen am Hochrhein is located on the northern bank of the High Rhine, surrounded by Swiss territory.

Apart from many creeks, larger tributaries of the High Rhine are, in the order of their confluences, the Biber, Durach, Thur, Töss, Glatt, Wutach, Aare, Alb, Murg, Sissle, Wehra, Ergolz and Birs.

Near Laufenburg, the post-glacial Rhine failed to find the old silted-up channel and hit a spur of Black Forest crystal.

The Laufenburg and Schwörstadt Rapids have been artificially eliminated by blowing up the rocks and raising the water level with dams.

The Laufenburg and Schwörstadt rapids were removed by blowing up rocks, originally to improve navigation, and later flooded due to the hydropower dams.

Prominent towns on the High Rhine include Stein am Rhein, Schaffhausen, Neuhausen am Rheinfall, Waldshut, Laufenburg, Bad Säckingen, Rheinfelden and Basel.

[7] Authorities on the Baden-Württemberg side of the river are organized in a framework called Regionalverband Hochrhein-Bodensee ("Regional cooperation High Rhine — Lake Constance").

The old wooden bridge between Gailingen and Diessenhofen is low so that during times when the water level of the river is high, large ships can no longer pass underneath it.

From west to east, they are Dinkelberg, Augstgau, Fricktal, Table Jura, Albgau, Aargau, Hotzenwald, Klettgau, Zurzibiet, Zürichgau, Hegau and Thurgau.