The city spreads out for approximately 4 km, between the airport at the north end of town and the bus station at the south, but its historical and commercial centre is more compact. This area follows roughly a north-south axis, along the right bank of the river Nan. The two main axes of the town, more or less parallel, are Sumonthewarat Rd (the easternmost one and the closest to the river) and the Mahayot Rd. The city’s main monuments are located at the junction of the three parallel axes, the Pha Kong Rd (west), the Mahayot Rd (middle) and the Sumonthewarat Rd (east) and the Suriyapong Rd which is perpendicular to them. As to the main shops, they can be found along the Sumonthewarat Rd and its perpendicular, Anantaworattidet Rd.
In the town, three bridges connect the right bank to the left bank of the river Nan: the southernmost, the Sriboonruang Bridge, the middle one, the Pattana Paknue Bridge, under which is held boat racing, and the northernmost, the Nakorn Nan Pattana Bridge which was seriously damaged during the August 2006 floods.