[1] The reservation lies in the Zuni River valley and is located primarily in McKinley and Cibola counties in western New Mexico, about 150 miles (240 km) west of Albuquerque.

There are also several smaller non-contiguous sections in Apache County, Arizona, northwest of the city of St. Johns.

The main reservation is surrounded by the Painted Cliffs, the Zuni Mountains, and the Cibola National Forest.

The governor is the administrative head of the Tribal Council, which is the final decision-making body on the reservation.

The sections in Cibola and McKinley counties in New Mexico are zoned to the Zuni Public Schools.