Brisbane is located in the southeast corner of Queensland, centred along the winding Brisbane River, with its eastern suburbs bordering Moreton Bay, part of the Coral Sea. The metropolitan area stretches across the coastal plain east of the Great Dividing Range, encompassing the Taylor and D’Aguilar ranges and spanning from Caboolture in the north to Beenleigh in the south, and across to Ipswich in the south-west.

The Brisbane River is a wide tidal estuary, with brackish, navigable waters running through much of the city. Numerous other rivers and creeks intersect the metropolitan area, including the North and South Pine rivers, Caboolture River, Logan and Albert rivers, and tributaries of the Brisbane River such as the Bremer, Breakfast, Norman, Oxley, Bulimba, and Moggill creeks. Situated on a low-lying floodplain, Brisbane is prone to flooding, which is managed through a combination of state and local government regulations and planning initiatives.

Moreton Bay, sheltered by Moreton, Stradbroke, and Bribie islands, generally offers calm waters, while surfable waves occur on the eastern coasts of these islands and further afield on the Gold and Sunshine coasts. Smaller islands in the southern bay, such as St Helena, Peel, Coochiemudlo, Russell, Lamb, and Macleay, contribute to the region’s ecological and recreational diversity.

Brisbane’s terrain is predominantly hilly. The central business district and surrounding suburbs are elevated by spurs of the Herbert Taylor Range, including Mount Coot-tha, reaching 300 m (980 ft), and Enoggera Hill. The D’Aguilar National Park to the north-west contains taller peaks such as Mount Nebo, Camp Mountain, Mount Pleasant, Mount Glorious, Mount Samson, and Mount Mee. Other notable hills scattered across the city include Mount Gravatt, Toohey Mountain, Mount Petrie, Highgate Hill, Mount Ommaney, Stephens Mountain, and Whites Hill.

Much of Brisbane’s bedrock is Brisbane tuff, a type of welded ignimbrite prominently exposed at the Kangaroo Point Cliffs and New Farm Cliffs. Historically, this stone was widely used in the construction of iconic buildings, including the Commissariat Store and the Cathedral of St Stephen, and is still used today for roadside kerbs in Brisbane’s inner suburbs, reflecting the city’s geological heritage.