Opava District borders Poland in the north. The territory is hilly, but the average altitude is low. The territory extends into three geomorphological mesoregions: Nízký Jeseník (west and south), Opava Hilly Land (east and north), and Ostrava Basin (a small part in the northeast). The highest point of the district is the hill Červená hora in Budišov nad Budišovkou with an elevation of 749 m (2,457 ft). The lowest point of the district is the river bed of the Oder in Šilheřovice at 198 m (650 ft).
From the total district area of 1,115.9 km2 (430.9 sq mi), agricultural land occupies 682.2 km2 (263.4 sq mi), forests occupy 312.5 km2 (120.7 sq mi), and water area occupies 19.0 km2 (7.3 sq mi). Forests cover 28.0% of the district's area.[1]
The entire district is drained by the Oder River, but this river appears in the territory only briefly. The most important rivers of the district are the Opava, which flows across the district from northwest to east, and the Moravice, which enters the district in the west and joins the Opava near the city of Opava. The largest body of water is Kružberk Reservoir, built on the Moravice.
The D1 motorway from Ostrava to the Czech-Polish border briefly runs along the eastern district border; otherwise there are no motorway passing through the district. The most important road is the I/11 from Ostrava to Bruntál via Opava.