At (53.5777°, -2.0928°) Shaw and Crompton lies along the eastern edge of the ancient Lancashire border; Saddleworth and the Pennines are close to the east. The larger towns of Rochdale and Oldham lie to the northwest and south respectively; Royton is west-southwest. There are no motorways in Shaw and Crompton, though a light rail line bisects the town from north to south. The town has a post office under the Oldham post town. The territory of the civil parish is given as . For purposes of the Office for National Statistics, Shaw and Crompton forms part of the Greater Manchester Urban Area, with Manchester city centre itself southwest of Shaw and Crompton.