Gangkofen is the westernmost municipality of the rural county or district ("Landkreis") named Rottal-Inn, and borders the county of Dingolfing-Landau in the north, the county of Mühldorf in the south and the county of Landshut in the west. Gangkofen is considered part of the historic and geographic Rottal region, because the market town was part of the former county of Eggenfelden (in the Rott valley) and has stronger economic and cultural ties to the east, than in other directions. The western portions of the political municipality - the former rural towns of Dirnaich and Hölsbrunn- historically belonged to the county of Vilsbiburg (now part of the county of Landshut), thus the inhabitants of those parts tend to look to be oriented in that direction (the west) even today.