The surface of the district has a distinctly flat character, a significant part of the district lies in the Polabí lowland. The territory extends into three geomorphological mesoregions: Central Elbe Table (most of the territory), Jizera Table (small parts in the west and north) and East Elbe Table (very small part in the east). The highest point of the district is the hill Na kostele in Kněžice with an elevation of 299 m (981 ft), which is the lowest among all districts in the country. The lowest point is the river bed of the Elbe in Přerov nad Labem at 173 m (568 ft).
From the total district area of 846.4 km2 (326.8 sq mi), agricultural land occupies 584.8 km2 (225.8 sq mi), forests occupy 148.5 km2 (57.3 sq mi), and water area occupies 18.5 km2 (7.1 sq mi). Forests cover 17.5% of the district's area.[1]
The most important river is the Elbe, flowing from the south to the west. The north of the district is drained by the Mrlina (a tributary of the Elbe). Several kilometres of the Cidlina also flow through the territory before its confluence with the Elbe. There are some middle-sized ponds, but none larger than 25 ha (62 acres). There are also several artificial lakes in the vicinity of the Elbe, created by flooding sand quarries.
