Mysore District is bounded by Mandya district to the northeast, Chamrajnagar district to the southeast, Kerala state to the south, Kodagu district to the west, and Hassan district to the north. It has an area of 6,268 sq km, and a population of 2,624,911 (2001 census), an increase of 15.04% from 1991. The administrative center of Mysore District is Mysore City.

Mysore District lies on the undulating table land of the southern Deccan plateau, within the watershed of the Cauvery River, which flows through the northwestern and eastern parts of the district. The Krishna Raja Sagar Reservoir , which was formed by building a dam across the Kaveri, lies on the northern edge of the district. Bandipur National Park is located in Mysore District, and Nagarhole National Park lies partly in Mysore district and partly in adjacent Kodagu District.

Mysore Division

Mysore Division includes the districts of Mysore, Chamarajanagar, Mandya, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Kodagu, Chikmagalur and Hassan. The administrative headquarters of the division is Mysore. This division is home to :

• Shivanasamudra , India's oldest (established in 1902) operating hydroelectric power project.