Coffs Harbour is a coastal city located on the north coast of New South Wales about 540 km (340 miles) north of Sydney, 385 km (240 miles) north of Newcastle, and 440 km (275 miles) south of Brisbane. The region has a wintertime population of over 70,000 people that swells to 100,000 in the vacation seasons. Popular with people wanting to relocate from big cities to small towns on the coast or in rural areas, Coffs Harbour continues to grow at an exceptional rate, with a population projection of 80,000 by the year 2016. According to the CSIRO, Coffs Harbour has the most livable climate in Australia, and it is nestled between a high mountain backdrop and dozens of "unspoiled" beaches. Coffs Harbour's economy is based mainly on farming (of bananas), tourism, and manufacturing.  The town has a university (the Southern Cross University), a public hospital,  and a private hospital, several radio stations, and three major shopping centres. Coffs Harbour is near numerous National Parks, including a Marine National Park. There are multiple flights per day by QantasLink, by Virgin Blue, and by Brindabella Airlines from Coffs Harbour to Sydney, Brisbane, and Newcastle. Coffs Harbour is also accessible by road, by Countrylink trains, and by regular bus services.

Geography
Sawtell, 10 km south along Hogbin Drive from the city has become a satellite suburb of Coffs Harbour, with it increasingly referred to as being part of the city instead of its own entity as a town.

Coffs Harbour is also one of many regional cities along the Pacific Highway between Newcastle and The Gold Coast. The city's close proximity to the centre of the mid and north coasts makes it a comfortable drive from either end of the highway. Some of the regional cities that scatter the highway include Tweed Heads, Ballina, Grafton, Kempsey, Port Macquarie and Taree. It has become a major service centre for those living between South West Rocks in the south and Grafton to the north.

The surrounding region is dominated by coastal resorts and apartments with hinterland hills and mountains covered by forests, banana plantations, and other farms. It is the only place in New South Wales where the Great Dividing Range meets the Pacific Ocean.

Attractions
Coffs Harbour is the hub for a thriving banana industry. One of the biggest attractions is the Big Banana, the first of Australia's Big Things (it celebrated its 40th Birthday in 2005), with the World's Largest Banana celebrating the region's best known export. There is also a popular underwater diving spot on a small natural reef.

The Coffs Harbour Jetty is an historically important timber wharf where coastal shipping once moved the timber from the hinterland. The Jetty area is the subject of current planning by Council and consultants to develop a cultural precinct and rejuvenated residential area.

Nearby the Solitary Islands Marine Park preserves a diverse underwater ecosystem that mirrors the terrestrial biodiversity, covering the southern limit of northern tropical species and the northern limits of the southern temperate species. Directly out to sea from Coffs Harbour adjacent to the human engineered breakwater is Muttonbird Island. The island is a nature reserve protecting a significant Wedge-tailed Shearwater breeding site.

There are many National Parks, Reserves and Marine Parks surrounding the city, including:

Bellinger River National Park (west of Bellingen in the Bellinger headwaters)
Bindarri National Park (20 km west of the city, near Ulong and Dairyville)
Bongil Bongil National Park (south of Sawtell)
Cascade National Park (north of Dorrigo)
Coffs Coast Regional Park (beachside reserves and parks along the Coffs Coast)
Dorrigo National Park (just south of the Dorrigo township)
Hayden Dent Nature Reserve (North West of Coffs Harbour)
Junuy Juluum National Park (north of Dorrigo)
Moonee Beach Nature Reserve (Moonee Beach-Emerald Beach)
Nymboi-Binderay National Park (north of Dorrigo, east of Glenreigh, on the Nymboida River)
Solitary Islands Marine Park (in the Tasman Sea from Coffs Harbour to Wooli)
Ulidarra National Park (Bruxner Park and Mount Coramba area)
Yuraygir National Park (stretching from Yamba to Red Rock and west along the Coast Range)
The town's water supply comes from the nearby Orara River at Cochranes Pool and the city hosts the Coffs Harbour Regional Botanic Garden.