Aksai Chin and Tibet are to the east, Kargil district to the west, and Lahul and Spiti to the south.

The Directorate of Health Services Kashmir, under the National Tobacco Control Programme, began working towards the designation early in 2017 and the status was declared in August.

"[4] In August 2019, the Parliament of India passed the act that contained provisions to make Leh a district of the new union territory of Ladakh, which was formed 31 October 2019.

The sub-divisions are: Nubra, Durbuk (Durbok), Khalatse (Khaltsi/Khalsi), Leh, Kharoo, Likir, Nyoma.

The tehsils are: Sumoor,and Diskit in Nubra Valley, Durbuk, Khalatse, Saspol, Leh, Kharoo, and Nyoma.

As a result of The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Removal of Difficulties) Second Order, 2019, Leh district claimed de jure jurisdiction over the following areas of Pakistani-administered Kashmir: Gilgit, Gilgit Wazarat, Chilas, and Tribal territory,[7] making it only slightly smaller than the country of Tunisia.

[citation needed] Leh has a sex ratio of 690 females for every 1000 males (this varies with religion), and a literacy rate of 77.2%.

Leh is connected to the rest of India by two high-altitude roads both of which are subject to landslides and neither of which are passable in winter when covered by deep snows.

The most dramatic part of this road journey is the ascent up the 3,505 m (11,500 ft.) high Zoji-la, a tortuous pass in the Great Himalayan Wall.

The Jammu and Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation (JKSRTC) operates regular Deluxe and Ordinary bus services between Srinagar and Leh on this route with an overnight halt at Kargil.

Open for traffic from June to late October, this high road traverses the upland desert plateaux of Rupsho whose altitude ranges from 3,660 m to 4,570 m. There are a number of high passes en route among which the highest one, known as Tanglang La, is sometimes (but incorrectly) claimed to be the world's second-highest motorable pass at an altitude of 5,325 m. (17,469 feet).