Orne is in the region of Normandy neighbouring Eure, Eure-et-Loir, Sarthe, Manche, Mayenne, and Calvados.

The largest town by a considerable margin is the prefecture, Alençon, which is an administrative and commercial centre for what is still an overwhelmingly rural department.

Declining farm incomes and the lure of better prospects in the overseas empire led to a sustained reduction in population levels in many rural departments.

Once motor car ownership started to surge in the 1960s, employment opportunities became less restricted and by 1982, the population level had recovered a little to 295,000, after which it slowly decreased.

As of 2019, there are 5 communes with more than 5,000 inhabitants:[3] The president of the Departmental Council is Christophe de Balorre, elected in 2017.