It is located in the borough of Altona and is the westernmost quarter of Hamburg, bordering the German federal state of Schleswig-Holstein in the west, north, and northeast and the Elbe river to the south.

In 1789, the local government bought a section of Rissen called Klövensteen and let it become a large forest.

In the 19th century, the locally well-known shipowner Johan Cesar V. Godeffroy purchased a significant portion of the area and dedicated it to become his personal hunting grounds.

It shares borders with the Schleswig-Holstein towns of Wedel, Pinneberg, and Schenefeld in the west, north, and northeast, respectively, and with Hamburg's quarters Sülldorf and Blankenese in the east.

South of the river lies the German federal state of Lower Saxony.

In the north of Rissen lies a large forested area, the so-called Klövensteen which is a popular place for recreational activities like walking, jogging, riding, etc.

[8] 23 physicians in private practice, 5 pharmacies and 8 day care centers for children were registered in 2006.

According to the Department of Motor Vehicles (Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt), in Rissen were 6,689 private cars registered (465 cars/1000 people).