Sultan is located along the Skykomish River at is confluences with the Sultan and Wallace rivers in south-central Snohomish County, approximately east of Everett, the county seat. U.S. Route 2 and the BNSF Railway's Scenic Subdivision bisect the city from west to east, connecting it to Everett, Monroe, Gold Bar, and Stevens Pass. The city limits of Sultan are generally defined by the Skykomish River to the south, the Sultan River and Old Owens Road to the west, and several county roads to the north and east. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of .