One of the five taluks of
Dakshina Kannada District, Belthangady is bordered by
Karkala taluk of
Udupi District and
Bantwal taluk in the west,
Puttur in the south and
Chikmagalur District in the north. In the eastern side, the
Western ghats, Kuduremukh ranges and the
Charmadi Ghat which connects the taluk to the
Chikmagalur District form an attractive stretch. The river
Netravati flows through Belthangady before entering Puttur taluk.
Dharmasthala, a holy place is just 16 km from this place. Aladangadi, Bylangady, Bangawadi are the important historical places in the taluk. The well-known Manjunatha temple is here and Jamalabad fort is only 6 km away from this place. Nearby attractions include Venur, a Jain center famed for the huge monolith of Bhagwan
Bahubali.
Being the taluk center, Belthangady has a number of schools, colleges and other institutions.