Lizhou district is located at the intersection of Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu. To its east is Wangcang county, to its south are Jiange county and Zhaohua district, to its west is Qingchuan county and to its north is Chaotian district. It is the political, economic and cultural center of Guangyuan city.

Lizhou is known as "the hometown of Empress Wu Zetian" and "the gateway to northern Sichuan". It has scenic spots such as the Huangze Temple, Thousand Buddha Cliff, Tianzhao Mountain, Bailong Lake, and Phoenix Mountain.

Lizhou was the birthplace of Empress Wu Zetian (624-705), the only woman emperor in China's history. It has a history of more than 2,300 years, and covers 1,538.53 square kilometers. By 2020, the administrative area of Lizhou had been divided into seven communities, five towns, and three townships.

The national-level Guangyuan Economic and Technological Development Zone is located in Lizhou and is under the jurisdiction of Guangyuan city. 

Lizhou has been successively awarded the titles of National Sanitation City, National Forest City, China Excellent Tourism City, China Human Settlement Model Award City, China Low-Carbon Development Pilot City, National Advanced County (District) for Scientific and Technological Progress, among others. It has one of the best ecological environments in western China and is a highly desirable residential area.