Belmont is primarily a residential neighborhood with a total area of 4.7 square miles and a population of roughly 26,000.
Belmont is bordered by Cambridge on the east, Arlington on the north, Lexington on the northwest, Waltham on the west, and Watertown on the south.
Public transportation is provided by the MBTA Fitchburg commuter line. The station stops are at Belmont Center and Waverley. Access to the red line can be had by driving to the nearby Alewife station in Cambridge.
Belmont is best known for the mansion-filled Belmont Hill neighborhood, although most residents live in more densely settled, low-lying areas around the Hill. There are three major commercial centers in the town: Belmont Center in the center, Cushing Square in the south, and Waverley Square in the west. Town Hall and other civic buildings are located in Belmont Center. Large tracts of land from former farms and greenhouse estates form public or publicly accessible areas such as Rock Meadow, Habitat, portions of the McLean Hospital tract and various town fields. Belmont is also home to the headquarters of the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) as well as the Boston Massachusetts Temple of the LDS Church.