It is located in the central part of the state, at 21°30′30″N 104°53′35″W21.50833°N 104.89306°W. It stands at an altitude above sea level of some 915 metres, on the banks of the Río Mololoa and the Río Tepic, approximately 225 kilometers north-west of Guadalajara, Jalisco.
Nearby are the extinct Sangangüey volcano and its crater lake. Tepic is the primary urban center of this rich agricultural region; major crops include sugarcane, tobacco and citrus fruits.
The city was founded in 1542. In the 2005 census, it reported a population of 295,204 people. Its surrounding municipality of the same name had a population of 336,403. The municipality has an area of 1,983.3 km² (765.8 sq mi).
It is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tepic.