Kennesaw is situated in Cobb County in the northwestern quadrant of the Atlanta metropolitan area, approximately 27 miles northwest of downtown Atlanta. The city lies within the Piedmont region of the southeastern United States, a transitional geographic zone between the Appalachian Mountains to the north and the coastal plains to the south.
The geography is characterized by heavily wooded areas featuring pine and deciduous trees, and the city's boundaries encapsulate a variety of parks, suburban neighborhoods, and commercial corridors. While Kennesaw Mountain itself sits just outside the southern city limits within a National Park Service property, its imposing presence dominates the local horizon and provides a massive green space that buffers the city from neighboring Marietta.