Zhaohua district is located in the northern part of the Sichuan Basin and the central part of Guangyuan city. To its east is Wangcang county, to its west is Jiange county, to its southeast is Cangxi county, and to its north is Lizhou district.

Its topography is dominated by middle and low mountains, with an average elevation of 900 meters.

There are many mountains in the district. The main peaks are: Yuntai Mountain, which is located in Dachao Township and reaches a height of 1,254 meters above sea level; and Danan Mountain.

The area has a subtropical monsoon humid climate, with 1,389.1 hours of sunshine throughout the year. The average annual frost-free period is 286 days. The spatial distribution of precipitation is uneven, with more in the south and less in the north. 

The main rivers are the Jialing Bailong and Yingtou. The district's water area is about 14,400 hectares, and its average annual useable water resources are 11.3 billion cubic meters.

In 2016, the district's area was measured at 1,433.47 square kilometers, including 40,214 hectares of arable land, 80,013.24 hectares of woodland area and 76,832.9 hectares of forested area.

There are more than 1,000 kinds of domestic medicinal materials from animals and plants, more than 20 kinds of which are sold inside and outside the province. The identified 900 plant species are in 180 families and 300 genera, and include fungi, mosses, and vascular plants. In addition, there are about 260 economic, medicinal, and rare plants with development value, and eight edible fungi species. 

There are more than 220 species of common wild animals, including five national-level wild animals.

By the end of 2016, five kinds of mineral resources had been proven, including sand gold, coal, shale, underground hot mineral water, and mineral water. Sand gold, coal and other minerals have considerable reserves and have been successively developed and utilized. There are 17 mineral deposits, and the proven raw coal reserves are about 1.87 million tons.

The district boasts rich tourism resources and is an important component of Shu Pass tourism in northern Sichuan. In 2008, the ancient city of Zhaohua was built into a national 4A-level tourist attraction, and Zhaohua Town was built into a "Chinese historical and cultural town". 

In 2014, Zhaohua city was named a demonstration base for the development of special tourism products in Sichuan. 

The Pingle Scenic Area has the reputation of being a backyard garden of Lizhou. In 2014, it was established as a national 4A-level scenic spot. 

Taigong Red Army Mountain is one of the 100 classic scenic spots of red cultural tourism and the patriotic education base of Guangyuan city.