Surrounded by the Suo Channel and Honshu Island to the north, the Iyo Channel and Shikoku Island to the east, it is bordered by Miyazaki Prefecture to the south, and Fukuoka Prefecture and Kumamoto Prefecture to the west.
Oita Prefecture is almost entirely covered by mountains and has only narrow coastal plains.
Oita Prefecture is famous for its hot springs, particularly those in and around the city of Beppu, known as the 'hells', or jigoku.