The principal settlement and only village in the parish is North Stainley.

The parish also includes the small settlements of Sleningford, North Lees and Sutton Grange.

The Lightwater Valley theme park is also in the parish.

The parish is bounded on the north and east by the River Ure, and on the south by the city of Ripon.

North Stainley with Sleningford was historically a township in the ancient parish of Ripon in the West Riding of Yorkshire.