Cleveland Heights is located in northeastern Ohio, bordering the eastern edge of the City of Cleveland. It is completely landlocked and is surrounded by other suburban municipalities, including East Cleveland to the north, South Euclid and University Heights to the east, and Shaker Heights to the south.
The city sits upon the Portage Escarpment, the geological boundary that separates the glaciated plains bordering Lake Erie from the higher Appalachian Plateau. This transition creates the city's distinctive sloping terrain. The area is heavily forested with old-growth trees—a defining characteristic that earned the city its longstanding designation as a "Tree City USA."
The primary natural watershed in the city is Doan Brook, a small waterway that flows through the southern and western portions of the city, carving ravines and supporting the surrounding parklands of the Shaker Lakes before winding down into University Circle and eventually Lake Erie.