The name of the district is probably derived from "Bhil Thana" (place of Bhils, a tribal group). It is situated at the western border of Vidarbha region and is 500 km away from the state capital, Mumbai. The district has towns and cities like Shegaon, Jalgaon Jamod, Malkapur, Khamgaon, Lonar, Mehkar, and Chikhli. It is surrounded by Madhya Pradesh in the north, Akola, Washim, and Amravati districts on the east, Jalna district on the south, and Jalgaon and Aurangabad districts on the west. Latitudes are 19.51° to 21.17° N and longitudes are 75.57° to 76.59° E. Bounded on the north by Madhya Pradesh state, to the east by Akola and Washim, to the south by Parbhani and Jalna districts, and to the west by Jalna and Jalgaon districts.