Sussex County is located in the south central region of Virginia. 

The county is 45 miles southeast of the capital city Richmond, 25 miles from the tri-cities area that includes Petersburg and Hopewell.  Washington D.C. and Baltimore are within a few hours drive, while Boston and Atlanta are both within a day's drive.

Sussex County encompasses 317,400 acre or 496 square miles. 

The county lies in the Coastal Plain region on level to slightly rolling terrain.