The municipality (Gemeinde) of Dotternhausen covers 10 square kilometers (3.9 sq mi) of the Zollernalb district of Baden-Württemberg, one of the 16 States of the Federal Republic of Germany. It is physically located along the edge of the Swabian Jura, with the town of Dotternhausen at the foot of the Plettenberg. The primary watercourses in the municipal area are the Schlichem, which forms its southern border, and the Katzenbach, which flows into the Eyach near Balingen. Elevation above sea level in the municipality ranges from a low of 579 meters (1,900 ft) Normalnull (NN) to a high of 1,002 meters (3,287 ft) NN at the top of the Plettenberg.[3]
Dotternhausen's coat of arms displays a stag in yellow, posed and facing left, over a field of blue. This pattern was used by the Lords of Dotternhausen Castle [de], but the blue-yellow tincture was an addition by the municipal government. The coat of arms was approved by the Reichsstatthalter of Württemberg on 20 December 1938.[3]
