With an area of 4,239 km2 (1,637 sq mi), the district is located east of the port city of Porto and north of the Douro River.

Due to poor soil, agriculture has always been a struggle, although wine grapes are produced in the south near the Douro River.

There was formerly a narrow gauge railway (the Corgo line) which linked the town of Vila Real with Peso da Régua on the Douro River.

When we talk about population of urban centers two figures are used in Portugal, one number for the concelho or municipality, which can be as large as 1,720.6 km2 (664.3 sq mi) (Odemira in the district of Beja) or as small as 8.11 km2 (3.13 sq mi) (São João da Madeira in the district of Aveiro), and another number for the main urban center itself.

In order of population, Vila Real capital has roughly 25,000 in the urban parishes, Chaves 12,000, followed by Valpaços, Peso da Régua, and the other seats of concelhos, all of which have fewer than 10,000 inhabitants.

Over seventy-five percent of the population in fact lives in centers with fewer than 5,000 people, which is the cutoff point for urbanization.

It also means that the Transmontano still has a rural lifestyle and all that this implies in cultural habits, including outlook towards education, innovation in business, and acceptance of different ideas.