The northernmost part of Taiyuan is the brain of heaven in Yangqu County, the southernmost part is Hanwubao in Qingxu County, Jiazhuang in Yangqu County in the east and Dacungou in loufan county in the west. East-west width 1 14.25km, north-south length 107km, and circumference of about 560km. The total area is 6988 square kilometers, accounting for about 4.50% of the total area of Shanxi Province.

Taiyuan is surrounded by mountains in the east, west and north, and fenhe valley plain in the south-central part. The whole terrain is high in the north and low in the south, showing a dustpan shape. The eastern mountainous area includes Zhoushan and its residual vein Taiyuan Dongshan, extending to the southwest. The western mountainous area is the Shandong wing of Lvliang, collectively known as Xishan, including the southern end of Yunzhongshan, Xishan in Taiyuan and Guandi Shandong section.

The northern mountainous area is the junction of Taihang Mountain and Luliang Mountain, and the boundary mountain between Taiyuan and Xinzhou. The valley plain in the south-central part belongs to the northern end of Jinzhong Basin (also known as Taiyuan Basin), which consists of alluvial plain and alluvial-diluvial inclined plain, with an altitude of about 800 meters, in which Taiyuan city is located.