Gostivar is located in western Macedonia (530 meters above the sea level) on the major route linking Skopje, Tetovo and Ohrid. The town has a population of 116,107 (1991) and it covers 1.341 sq. km. Gostivar is located in the upper part of the Polog valley.

Not far from the city, is the village of Vrutok where the biggest Macedonian river Vardar begins its journey through Macedonia all the way down to the Aegean Sea. Gostivar is the last town on the exit from Polog. The road than continues to the high lands of Mavrovo and Galichnik, from where all Polog can be observed with the villages scattered around like some kind of beautiful mosaic.