The City of Orland is in the Northern Sacramento Valley, about 20 miles east of Chico.  It is roughly bounded by Stony Creek to the north, Interstate-5 to the west, County Road 16 to the south, and County Road N to the east.

Prominent geographical features include Black Butte to the west where Black Butte Reservoir is located.  The city water tower is lit up at dusk and is visible from I-5.

The city's primary industry is agriculture and processing.