Durgapur is located, as mentioned above, in the district of Burdwan. It lies on the main railway line connecting Calcutta and New Delhi, thus being extremely well connected to both of the above cities. It takes about 2.5 hours by express train to reach Calcutta and an overnight journey to reach Delhi. The G.T.Road (National Highway #2) passes through the middle of the city. One airport is under construction near Steel City, B-zone.

It is located very close to India's biggest coalfields in the Ranigunj-Dhanbad area. The Durgapur Barrage over the river Damodar provides the water necessary for the many industries and also for drinking. Its surrounding area is very fertile and is one of the biggest producers of rice in the country.