Little Falls is located in Herkimer County 23 miles east of Utica between St Johnsville and Herkimer along Highway 5 on the banks of the Mohawk River in the Northern Region of the state. Water has always been a factor in the development of the city of Little Falls. Although in the city's earliest days, the falls may have created a navigational problem, they soon became a natural blessing; their presence spurred the onset of settlement in the gorge and became a source of water power. Little Falls soon became a stopping point between New York City and the western part of the state.

Historic Canal Place is a revitalized industrial area that includes two refurbished 19th century stone mill buildings set amidst two parks along the Mohawk River. Little Falls is part of the Utica-Rome, New York metro area.