Cieszyn is located on the River Olza, in the central part of Cieszyn Silesia, whose historical borders cover the area of the former Cieszyn Duchy.
      In administrative terms Cieszyn is located in the south-western part of Silesia Province (województwo śląskie) and the western part of Cieszyn County. The borders of Cieszyn are situated between 49° 43’ 08" and 49° 47’ 36" of north latitude and between 18° 35’ 56" and 18° 42’ 27" of east longitude.
      From the north, east and south it borders with the following counties: Hażlach, Dębowiec and Goleszów. The town’s borders run parallel with the State’s border from the west (an almost 9 km long section) and partly from the south.
      According to the system of physico-geographical regionalisation using the decimal system, Cieszyn is located in the sub-Atlantic zone, the province of Western Carpathians with the Carpathian Foothills (51), sub-province of the Outer Western Carpathian (513), the macro-region of the Western Beskid Plateau (513.3), the mezo-region of the Silesian Plateau (513.32). The Silesian Plateau, whose western part is commonly called the Cieszyn Plateau, has a W-E course and it is located north of Silesian Beskid Mountains and Beskid Mały Mountains. They represent a narrow, considerably folded and inclided northerly platform located at the foothills of the Beskid Mountains.