Shavano Park is located in north-central Bexar County. It is entirely surrounded by the city of San Antonio; the northern border is formed by the Charles W. Anderson Loop outer beltway around San Antonio.

Despite lying in the far southeastern reaches of the Texas Hill Country, Shavano Park's terrain is flat to gently rolling. Most of the city is between 950 and 1,000 feet above sea level, which contrasts sharply with neighborhoods just north of Anderson Loop, where hills can rise 200 feet in a short distance. Some areas of San Antonio farther south have greater elevation variation despite not technically lying in the Hill Country. The east side of town forms a plateau looking over a cliff descending fifty feet or more. This cliff marks the boundary with San Antonio.

Residents are zoned to schools in the Northside Independent School District. Blattman Elementary School serves all of Shavano Park. Blattman, which opened in 2003, was the first public school to be built in Shavano Park. The sole entrance and exit to the school is along Texas State Highway Loop 1604. Blattman was built as part of the 2001 bond. Prior to the opening of Blattman, Shavano Park was zoned to Locke Hill Elementary School in San Antonio.

Hobby Middle School and Tom C. Clark High School, both in San Antonio, serve Shavano Park's middle and high school populations.