Udhampur district  with an area of 4,550 sq km, lies between 32 degree-34"  to 39 degree-30" N Latitude and 74 degree-16" to 75 degree-38" E Longitude. The altitude varies from 600 to 3,000 meters. Udhampur is situated in the South-Eastern part of Jammu & Kashmir and is bounded in the West by Rajouri district, in North by Anantnag, in North-East by Doda, in South-East by Kathua and in the South-West by district Jammu. Udhampur has a varied topography. It is inter-woven with Shivalik ranges of hills. There are, however, very few inhabited areas above the height of 1,112 meters or so which experience snow fall and severe cold in the winter.

The town Udhampur,  named after Raja Udham Singh, the eldest son of Maharaja Gulab Singh, is the district headquarter. This town is said to have been built in place of dense forest where Udham Singh occasionally went on hunting trips till he developed great love for the spot and chose it as site for township.

District Udhampur is the fifth most populous district of Jammu & Kashmir having 7.34% of total population of the state. As per the 2001 census, the district had a population of 7.38 lakh. The population density of the district is 162 person per sq km.

Udhampur is rich in forest wealth. The total forest area has increased from 42.75% to 51.49% over the last ten years. The total forest area of the district in 2000-2001 was about 2,343 sq km. The main species of timber available are Deodar, Kail, Fir, Chir at higher altitude and Santha, Kher and other thorny bushes in the lower slopes. The major out-turn of forest are Timber, Firewood, resin, Anardana, Guchhian (a kind of Mushroom), Banafasha (a wild Flower used in Medicines), Dhoop, Kathas etc.

Due to latitudinal variation there is wide variation in temperature in different parts of the district. The temperature rises sometimes as high as 42 degree C and seldom goes below 1.5 degree C in low altitude areas. May, June and July are the hottest months. December, January and February are the coldest months when the temperature in some areas comes down to 1.5 degree C. Mostly rainfall takes place during July, August and September in Summer and in January and February in Winter.

District Udhampur is drained by major rivers namely, the Chenab, the Ans, the Tawi and the Ujh. But due to mountainous & undulating topography, not much utilization of water is possible. The district is prone to drought and only small area of land has been brought under irrigation. Apart from the rivers there are number of lakes and other sources of natural Water in the district. In the South-East part of Udhampur there lies a famous Mansar Lake which provides drinking water and is also an interesting picnic spot.