The district surrounds the city of Darmstadt proper. Neighbouring districts include Offenbach to the north, Gross-Gerau to the west, Bergstrasse to the south-west and Odenwaldkreis to the south-east.
Darmstadt is situated within a district that also includes the city itself. Nearby districts are found in the northern (Offenbach), western (Gross-Gerau), southwestern (Bergstrasse), and southeastern (Odenwaldkreis) areas.