Oni is situated in a deep gorge on the left bank of Rioni River, some 830 metres (2,723 feet) above sea level and 210 kilometres (130 miles) northwest of Georgia's capital Tbilisi.

During the Soviet Union, the town was united with a number of surrounding villages into the Oni district, which is currently administered as a part of the Racha-Lechkhumi and Lower Svaneti region.

The earthquake measured 7.0 on the moment magnitude scale with a maximum MSK intensity of IX (Destructive), the most powerful ever recorded in the Caucasus Mountains, and caused significant damage to the infrastructure of Oni.

[2] Oni and its environs house a number of historical monuments, including the ruins of medieval forts and Georgian Orthodox churches.

The Racha Regional Museum, located in Oni, has an impressive collection of 14000 unique artifacts from the fields of archaeology, ethnography, numismatics, natural history, fine art, historical documents, manuscripts, and printed books.