Its mayor as of 1 April 2019 is Frands Fischer, representing the Social Democrats political party.

Its last mayor was Aleksander Aagaard, a member of the agrarian liberal Venstre political party.

The municipality is part of Business Region Aarhus and of the East Jutland metropolitan area, which had a total population of 1.378 million in 2016.

[2][3] The municipality has two of Denmark's three highest natural points of terrain, namely Møllehøj at 170.86 metres (560.6 feet), and Ejer Bavnehøj at 170.35 metres (558.9 feet), in the southern part, southwest of the city of Skanderborg.

Himmelbjerget at 147 metres (482 feet), is in the western part of the municipality, and Yding Skovhøj at 170.77 metres (560.3 feet), is in neighboring Horsens municipality, west of the other two highest points of natural terrain.