The Saale-Orla district lies for the most part in the Thuringian Slate Mountains or in its transition areas to the Thuringian Woodland and the Vogtland. As a result, the terrain has a distinct low mountain range character, with over 80 % of the district's area lying above 400 meters in elevation. The lowest point is the Orlatal with an altitude of about 180 m above sea level on the territory of the municipality Langenorla. The Sieglitzberg near Bad Lobenstein close to the border with Bavaria is with 733 m the highest point in the district. The highest village is Rodacherbrunn at about 700 m above sea level.

Neighboring districts are the Saale-Holzland district in the north, the Greiz district in the northeast, the Vogtland district in Saxony in the southeast, the Hof district in Bavaria in the south, the Kronach district in Bavaria in the southwest and the Saalfeld-Rudolstadt district in the west.