The municipality is bordered on the west by the RM of Portage la Prairie, to the east by the RM of Headingley, and to the north by the Assiniboine River.

It is named after Sir George-Étienne Cartier who was a leader in bringing Quebec into Confederation.

Until 1914, it was part of the larger municipality of St. François Xavier.

The Cartier Regional Water Co-op manages the water supply in the rural municipality as well as other nearby RMs such as Headingley, Rosser, and Macdonald.

The Cartier Water Treatment Plant brings in water from the Assiniboine River where it is cleaned of silt and debris and other toxins and distributed within the RM and also sent out to other nearby communities.