The Cottonwood Falls quadrangle lies between parallels 38° and 38° 30' and meridians 96° 30' and 97°, and therefore constitutes a quarter of a square degree of the earth's surface. It is 34.35 miles long and 26.75 miles wide, and contains about 938 square miles. It is located east and a little south of the central part of Kansas, on Cottonwood River, and includes large portions of Chase and Marion counties and small portions of Greenwood and Butler counties.