Neighbouring districts are Viersen, Neuss, Düren and Aachen, the city of Mönchengladbach and the Dutch province Limburg.

Heinsberg is the most westerly district of Germany, reaching 5°52'E[2] in Selfkant municipality.

The area fell to Prussia in 1815, which in 1816 created the three districts Heinsberg, Erkelenz and Geilenkirchen.

The Robert Koch Institute listed Heinsberg as an especially affected area ("besonders betroffenes Gebiet").

Since the first cases were discovered in this area, the district was around two weeks "ahead" of the rest of Germany.