Varaždin County is located in the northern part of Croatia, bordering Slovenia and Hungary, and is located north of Zagreb. The County capital is homonymous Varaždin city. The northern border of the county is formed by the Drava river, which has its spring in Italy, then flows through Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary. It's a tributary of the Danube, so it actually drains into the Black Sea.
Together with neighbouring Krapina-Zagorje County this county is also known as Hrvatsko Zagorje, a historic or cultural region which comprises the whole area north of Medvednica mountain. Croatian people usually refer to this region simply as Zagorje, but there is another region which bears the same name in Slovenia. Hence, it is generally called Hrvatsko Zagorje which means Croatian Zagorje.