The region of West Oxfordshire has a lot of varied and extremely attractive countryside. In the south the River Thames marks the boundary and the countryside here is flat and similar to the northern part of the Vale of White Horse region. But from Carterton northwards the ground gradually rises towards the Cotswold Hills and from Burford north to Chipping Norton the land is attractively undulating and assumes the character typical of the Cotswolds. In fact Burford and Chipping Norton are typical Cotswold towns built in the well-known Cotswold limestone and the area between them is within the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The main rivers of West Oxfordshire are the Rivers Cherwell, Windrush and Evenlode. The River Cherwell is the biggest of these three and has its source in Northamptonshire not far from Daventry. The River Cherwell forms part of the eastern boundary of West Oxfordshire as it flows south to meet the Thames at Oxford. The River Windrush starts high in the Cotswolds near Taddington in Gloucestershire and flows south and east to Witney and then flows into the Thames at Newbridge. Fine views of the attractive Windrush valley and the Cotswold Hills beyond can be seen from the A40 west of Witney. The River Evenlode also has its source in the Cotswolds, near Moreton in the Marsh, and this too is extremely attractive, flowing through deep valleys and thick woodlands as it flows to meet the Thames near Cassington.

Apart from Chipping Norton, the other main town of West Oxfordshire are Woodstock, home of Bleinham Palace, Carterton and Witney. Carterton is the second largest town in the region and developed from a small settlement mainly during the second world war due to its proximity to RAF Brize Norton.