Neighboring districts are (from north clockwise) Rems-Murr, Göppingen, Reutlingen, Böblingen and the district-free city Stuttgart.

On 16 October 1964 the state government allowed the change from the previous spelling to the current Landkreis Esslingen.

At Plochingen the Fils flows into the Neckar river which leaves the district near Esslingen-Mettingen heading towards Stuttgart.

According to the reserves statistic of the Landesanstalt für Umwelt, Messungen und Naturschutz Baden Württemberg (LUBW), 2,320.57 hectares (5,734.3 acres) of the district's area is under nature protection (3.62 %).

The numbers of inhabitants are census results (¹) or official updates of the Statistischen Landesamts Baden-Württemberg (only main residence).

The Landrat is the legal representative of the district as well as head of the Kreistag and its committees, but is not eligible to vote in those bodies.

Both symbols were taken from the coat of arms of the district of Nürtingen, as the two families played a major role in the history of the area.

The most labour-intensive sectors in the district Esslingen are according to the states statistical office: Stuttgart Airport lies on the eastern border of the city Leinfelden-Echterdingen.

Since 1845 the eventual Württembergische Staatsbahn runs from Stuttgart to the district City Esslingen, since 1846 as far as Plochingen and 1847 as Filsbahn towards the crossing of the Swabian Albs in the direction of Geislinger Steige–Ulm.

From this railway the Teckbahn of the Kirchheimer Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft branched off in Wendlingen (back then Unterbohingen) in 1864 and extended as far as Oberlenningen by the Staatsbahn in 1899.

Over the course of 100 years a diverse public transport network developed on Filder plains at the southern border of Stuttgart, the Filderbahn-Gesellschaft.

Since 1990 a standard gauge light rail called Stadtbahn (Line U5) runs only up to Leinfelden Bahnhof instead from where the S-Bahn carries on.

From west to east the Bundesautobahn 8, connecting Stuttgart and Ulm, is running through the district area.

This association is carrier of the Paracelsus-hospital Ruit in Ostfildern-Ruit and the Hospital Kirchheim-Nürtingen with ist two sites Kirchheim unter Teck and Nürtingen.