Thanh Trì is located on the southeastern side of Hanoi, on the western bank of the Red River.

Thanh Trì's terrain is mostly low-lying, gradually descending towards the southeast in the direction of flow of the Red River.

Thanh Trì district is composed of one town (Văn Điển) and 15 communes: Thanh Liệt, Đông Mỹ, Yên Mỹ, Duyên Hà, Tam Hiệp, Tứ Hiệp, Ngũ Hiệp, Ngọc Hồi, Vĩnh Quỳnh, Tả Thanh Oai, Đại Áng, Vạn Phúc, Liên Ninh, Hữu Hòa and Tân Triều.

On April 8, 2008, an Antonov An-26 aircraft on a training mission crashed into a field in Thanh Trì, killing five Vietnamese military pilots.

A Vietnamese military official who declined to be named said the plane belonged to Vietnam's 918 Air Transport Regiment.