The city is located in south-eastern Ukraine. The Dnieper river splits the city for two parts between them is located the Khortytsia island. The city covers 334 km2 at an elevation of 50 m above sea level.

Two streams around Khortytsia island are called the New and Old Dnieper. The New Dnieper is about 800 m (2600 feet) wide and the Old Dnieper is about 200 m (650 feet). The island has 12 km x 2 km (7.5 mi x 1.2 mi) sizes. There are also several small rivers in the city, which enter the Dnieper: Sukha and Mokra Moskovka, Kushuhum, and Verkhnia Khortytsia.

The flora of Khortytsia island is unique and diverse due to the dry steppe air and a large freshwater basin around, which cleans the polluted by industries air. Khortytsia Island is a national park. The island surface is cut by large ravines ("balka"), hiking routes and historical monuments. The island is a very popular recreational area for both kids and adults. There are a large number of sanatoriums, resorts and health centers. The comfortable sand beaches for swimming and other water activities are present here as well.

The 12 km (7.5 mi) x 2 km (1.2 mi) island Khortytsia is located in the geographical center of the city. The city embraces the island by banks of the New and Old Dnieper streams. Two concrete bridges connect the Island to the city. They have been designed and constructed by the engineer Boris N. Preobrazhensky in 1952. Two level bridges have height about 54 meters. High level of the bridges is intended for rail and bottom - for cars and pedestrians.

The historical and cultural museum "Zaporizhian Sich" is placed on the northern rocky part of the island Khotritsa. The museum is the reconstructed stronghold of the Zaporizhian Cossacks. All features of the military cossack's camp life and their lifestyle are presented in the museum.

The smaller islands are located between the dam and the island Khortytsia. Each of these islands has its own legend. On one of them named Durnya Scala (Rock of the Fool) Tzar Peter the Great punished the Cossacks by flogging for their betrayal on the side of Charles XII of Sweden during the Great Northern War between Russia and Sweden.

The another small island, named Stolb (Pillar), has a geological feature, which looks like a large bowl in granite slabs. This bowl is named Cossack's bowl. People say that in summer days under the hot sun, it is easy to boil water in this "bowl" and the Cossacks used it for cooking galushki (boiled dough in a spicy broth).

The panoramic view of the DnieproHES from Khortytsia island is very impressive. The straight and long Sobornyi avenue (10 km) ends in the SotsGorod near the Dam, which built up of the constructivist architecture of the 20th century.