Hilton is located on the crest of an escarpment above the neighboring city of Pietermaritzburg, some 9 kilometres to the NW of its central business district, 77 km to the NW of Durban, and 11 km to the SE of Howick. It is a part of both the bigger uMgungundlovu District Municipality and the smaller uMngeni Local Municipality from an organizational and administrative standpoint. Garlington Estate, Pietermaritzburg, Chase Valley, and the village of Cedara all abut Hilton to the north, south, east, and north-west, respectively. The remaining suburbs of Hilton are Berry Hill, Leonard, Mountain Homes, Mount Michael, Sweetwaters, Winterskloof, and World's View. Hiltara Park is a combination of Hilton and Cedara.