Shanghe county, the northern gateway to Jinan, is surrounded by Huimin and Yangxin of Binzhou to the east, Linyi of Dezhou to the west, Laoling of Dezhou to the north, and Jiyang district of Jinan to the south.

The county has a warm temperate semi-humid monsoon climate, courtesy of its mid-latitude location.

Shanghe county is a key production area of the Shengli Oilfield and has an oil reserve of 50 million metric tons and an annual output of 400,000 tons. The county also has a substantial reserve of natural gas associated with oil amounting to 1.4 billion cubic meters.

The county is rich in geothermal energy and has a total reserve of 25.6 billion cubic meters and an exploitable amount of 17.9 billion cubic meters. The geothermal coverage spans 98.6 percent of the county's territory and accounts for 46.6 percent of Jinan's geothermal area.

Shanghe county is home to the Shanghe Drum Yangko Dance, a gem of Chinese folk dance art. In 2006, this art form was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage.

The county is also known for its vibrant folk arts scene, with over 30 varieties including the Drum Yangko Dance, Flower Whip and Drum Dance, and Flower Stick Dance.

In 2023, Shanghe county achieved a regional GDP of 24.61 billion yuan ($3.42 billion), growing 7 percent from the previous year.