Pilibhit is the north-easternmost district of Bareilly division, situated in the Rohilkhand region of the sub-Himalayan Plateau belt next to foothills of Sivalik Range on the boundary of Nepal, known for the origin of river Gomati and one of the most forest-rich areas in North India.

[3] Though separated only by a short distance from the outer ranges of the Himalayas, Pilibhit consists entirely of a level plain, containing depressions but no hills and is intersected by several streams.

The almost 54 km-long Indo-Nepal international border makes Pilibhit a highly sensitive for security purposes.

[7] Pilibhit forests area are a home for the striped cats, tiger, bear, and many species of birds.

A proposal, created in 2005, to make a home for the endangered cats in Pilibhit forests was sent to the government of India in April 2008.

[8] was declared in September 2008 based on its special type of ecosystem with vast open spaces and sufficient feed for the elegant predators.

For security, the Mughal subedar Ali Mohammed Khan constructed four magnificent gates around the administrative building in 1734  AD.

[12] The freedom fighter Maulana Inayatullah, from Pilibhit, voluntarily hosted the exiled Queen of Avadh, Begum Hazrat Mahal, who reached Nepal in late 1859.

[13][14] Pilibhit was in the news at the national level because of a man-killer sub-adult tiger, which had caused fear in the whole area in and around the forest.

[15] Pilibhit lies between the parallels of 28°64' and 29°53' north latitude and the meridians of 79°57' and 81°37' east longitude covering an area of 68.76 km2.

The north side of Pilibhit is bordered by Udham Singh Nagar district of Uttarakhand state and by the territory of Nepal.

The southern portion of the Bisalpur tehsil is similar in most respect to the adjacent tract of Bareilly and Shahjahanpur.

74 runs through the district connecting Haridwar to Bareilly via Kichha, Kashipur and Nagina city.

Education is a crucial instrument for raising income levels of people and moving out of the vicious circle of poverty.

A study done by Delhi-based NGO, Nav Bharat Nirman indicates a strong correlation between educational attainment and poverty levels among various social classes in the district.

It experiences pleasant windy days, clear skies and cool nights from November to the end of February.

[28] Reported climatic variations:[29] According to the Imperial Gazetteer of India, Pilibhit was once known as Hafizabad after the Rohila leader of the area, Hafiz Rahmat Khan, but later took its current name from a nearby village.

[31] According to a document from the British Library, 'the city Pilibhit' existed in the late 18th century (1770–1780) when Marathas invaded the Rohilkhand region.

With this invasion, the Kurmi community came to this region and over time, the city Pilibhit enlarged it boundaries.

[34] According to an article published in Hindustan Times, by a 1991 estimate, 95% of India's flutes were manufactured in Pilibhit.

Earlier, there was an unbroken narrow-gauge line running from Silchar, in Assam, via Bihar, and into Pilibhit.