The Haridwar district is ringed by Saharanpur in the west, Dehradun in the north and east, Pauri Garhwal in the east, Roorkee, Muzaffarnagar and Bijnor in the south. Prior to its inclusion in the newly created state of Uttarakhand in 2000, this district was a part of Saharanpur Divisional Commissionary. The district has a single Parliament Constituency, and 9 Uttarakhand State Legislative Assembly constituencies including, Bhaghwanpur, Roorkee, Iqbalpur, Manglaur, Landhaura, Laksar, Bhadhrabad, Haridwar, and Laldang.

The district is administratively subdivided into three tehsils: Haridwar, Roorkee, and Laksar. It is further divided into six development blocks: Bhagwanpur, Roorkee, Narsan, Bahadrabad, Laksar, and Khanpur.[3][14] Current Member of Parliament (MP) from Haridwar (Lok Sabha constituency) is 'Harish Rawat', and Member of Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly from Haridwar city is 'Madan Kaushik'.

The district headquarters is situated in the Roshnabad, at a distance of about 12 km from Haridwar railway station. The office of Chief Development Officer is located in Vikas Bhawan, Roshnabad. The Collectorate, Vikas Bhawan, District Judiciary, S.S.P. Office, Police line, District Jail, District sports stadium, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya etc. are the prime establishments of this area. Many other administration offices like Lok Sewa Ayog and Sanskrit Academy are established here.

Places of pilgrimage :

Har ki Pauri:

One of the holiest spots on earth for the Hindus, this ancient bathing ghat (Steps) is of prime importance. A majority of the present ghats were largely developed in the 1800s.

Sati Kund:

It is the well-known mythological Sati immolation heritage situated in Kankhal.

Daksheswara Mahadev Temple:

The ancient temple of Daksha Mahadev, also known as Daksheswara Mahadev Temple, is situated in the south of Kankhal town and is a tribute to the legends of Sati's self-immolated and king Daksha's death and later life with a goat's head.

Maya Devi Temple:

This temple of the Adhisthatri deity of Haridwar is considered one of the Siddhapeethas and is said to be the place where the heart and navel of Goddess Sati had fallen. It is one of the few ancient temples still standing in Haridwar, along with Narayani Shila Temple and Bhairav Temple.

Sapt Rishi Ashram and Sapt Rishi Sarovar, where the Ganges split herself into seven currents so that seven great sages on its bank would not be disturbed by the flow.

Bhimgoda Tank:

This tank, where Bhima is said to have drawn water from the rocks by thrusting his knee into the ground, is situated at a distance of about 1 km from Har-ki-Pauri.

Chandi Devi Temple:

The present temple, commemorating the ancient Chandi legend, was constructed in 1929 AD by the Dogra King of Kashmir, Suchat Singh; it can also be reached through a ropeway.

Mansa Devi Temple:

The temple dedicated to Mansa Devi, a form of Shakti draws many pilgrims. There are two ways to reach the temple - trekking or it can also be reached through a ropeway.

Piran Kaliyar Sharif:

This famous 'Dargah' (Shrine) of Hazrat Alauddin Sabir Kaliyari, a 13th-century Sufi Saint of Chishti Order, was built by Ibrahim Lodhi, a Delhi Sultanate ruler. Also known as Sarkar Sabir Pak, it is located in Kaliyar village, 7 km from Roorkee, and is a living example of religious harmony in India; it is visited by devotees from all over the world, during the annual 'Urs' festival, which is celebrated from 1st day (of sighting the new moon) to 16th day of Rabee-ul-awwal month of Islamic calendar.

Ram Mandir:

This Ram temple is under construction at Bhupatwala and would be the biggest in size in India.

Shantikunj:

Shantikunj is headquarter of spiritual and social organisation All World Gayatri Pariwar (AWGP). Founder of the organisation, Pt. Shriram Sharma Acharya, was a great saint, spiritual leader and freedom fightor. He spent last twenty years of his life here, writing literature and directing activities of the organisation. Shantikunj is considered as a place of pilgrimage by millions of devotees of this global organisation.