The historical city of Lahr at the mouth of the Schutter valley consists of seven attractive surrounding communities unified since the Community Reform of 1972. The historical town center has about 28,000 inhabitants, the surrounding communities a good 15,000. Through its incorporations, Lahr has developed a very diverse character.

With the villages of Reichenbach and Kuhbach, the city clearly stretches into the Black Forest, while the villages of Sulz and Mietersheim are geologically classified among the rolling foothills. The villages of Hugsweier, Kippenheimweiler and Langenwinkel are located in the Rhine plains.