Petite-Rivière-de-Nippes is located at 18.4759° N, 73.2338° W. According to the IHSI, this commune has a total land area of 93.70 square kilometers (36.18 square miles), of which 48.98 km² (52%) is rural, 43.02 km² (46%) is suburban, and 1.70 km² (2%) is urban. It is bordered on the southeast by the city of Miragoâne, on the south by the town of Paillant, and on the west by the city of Anse-à-Veau. The commune of Petite-Rivière-de-Nippes is divided in four communal sections and a district: Silègue, Fonds des Lianes, Cholotte, Bézin, and the district of Charlier. Its topography consists of plains and its climate is considered tropical.

To the north of Petite-Rivière-de-Nippes lies an arm of La Gonâve Canal along the town’s harbor. The coast where the bulk of the population lives. It is a superb plain which grows banana, mango, and breadfruit. The area was once renowned for its coconut trees, largely replaced by coastal development. The central part of the town is dominated by hills and valleys. The south mainly consists of the foothills of the Tiburon Peninsula mountain range.