The county is located in the centre of Prince Edward Island, and the geography varies from relatively flat plains to rolling hills in the central interior lands known as the Bonshaw Hills.

The coastline features sandstone cliffs and sandy beaches, with numerous sheltered bays on the Gulf of St. Lawrence and Northumberland Strait.

Historically the economy of the county has been primarily agricultural, similar to rest of Prince Edward Island.

Today, the county is characterised by urban sprawl extending from Charlottetown in the centre of the county is the region's most dominant feature; many rural parts of the county within the Charlottetown census agglomeration, and outside, are facing increased pressures to subdivide and develop into suburbs and exurbs.

Stratford, a suburb of Charlottetown located south-east across the Hillsborough River, is the third-largest community in Prince Edward Island.