The Onega crosses the district from south to north, splitting it into two parts of roughly equal areas.

The northeastern part of the district mostly belongs to the basin of the Yemtsa River, which is a major tributary of the Northern Dvina.

Minor areas in the west of the district lie in the basin of the Vodla River across the border with the Republic of Karelia.

It was located at the trading routes connecting central and northern Russia: first, from Moscow to the White Sea along the Onega River, and then, after 1765, along the newly built road between St. Petersburg and Arkhangelsk, which still exists and passes Kargopol and Plesetsk.

In particular, when in 1897 the railroad between Vologda and Arkhangelsk was built, Plesetskaya railway station was located in Arkhangelsky Uyezd.

[10] During the Russian Civil War in 1918, battles were fought between the Red Army and the British troops in Plesetsk and around.

On July 15, 1929, the uyezds were abolished, the governorates merged into Northern Krai, and Plesetsky District was established among others.

[11] Within the framework of administrative divisions, the district is divided into eleven selsoviets and four urban-type settlements with jurisdictional territory (Obozersky, Plesetsk, Savinsky, and Severoonezhsk).

This is the historic trading route which connected Kargopol with Arkhangelsk before the railroad was built, and long stretches of this road are still unpaved.

[13] Plesetsk (Plesetskaya station) is located on the railway line between Moscow and Arkhangelsk (built in the south-north direction).

[14] Most of these are wooden churches, chapels, farms, and also monuments to the Red Army soldiers who died in the Russian Civil War.