Serang municipality is about 10 km from Old Banten, the eponymous former sultanate's capital.

Merak, a major port and ferry terminal, is located at the northwest tip of Java, within the independent municipality of Cilegon, which was split off from the regency on 20 April 1999.

Serang Regency and its semi-enclaved cities have experienced a heavy influx of residents as Jakarta continues its outward growth; some planning agencies consider it to be part of the metropolitan area.

[1] Including Cilegon and Serang cities which the regency surrounds on their landward sides, the mid 2023 population amounted to 2,936,561 inhabiting 1,795.58 km2, for an overall density of 1,635.4 per km2.

As at time of the 2010 Census, the Regency was divided into twenty-eight districts (kecamatan).