It is located in west central Minnesota within Big Stone, Chippewa, Lac qui Parle, Stevens, Swift, Traverse counties and northeastern South Dakota and southeastern North Dakota. There are 12 municipalities in the watershed of which the city of Ortonville is the largest. The Upper Minnesota River major watershed area is approximately 2,097 square miles or 1,341,917 acres. The watershed is subdivided into 99 minor watersheds. The minor watersheds range in size from 1,207 acres to 70,071 acres with the mean size approximately 13,555 acres.
Agriculture is the predominant land use within the watershed.