Nova Iguaçu is the second largest city of Baixada Fluminense, and, together with Duque de Caxias, it polarizes the municipalities of this sub-region of the metro area of Rio. In turn, these two municipalities - just like all other peripheral municipalities of Baixada Fluminense and Greater Rio as a whole - are polarized by the downtown area of Rio de Janeiro, the metropolitan core.

Between 1943 and 1999, the current municipalities of Duque de Caxias, São João de Meriti, Nilópolis, Belford Roxo, Queimados, Japeri, and Mesquita (all belonging to Baixada Fluminense) were emancipated from Nova Iguaçu. It is, therefore, the municipality of Greater Rio from which the largest number of districts was dismembered during the 20th century.

From the Central Zone of Rio de Janeiro, urban bus, van and train lines depart to Nova Iguaçu. Most bus lines that connect the Rio's downtown area to Nova Iguaçu depart from Terminal Américo Fontenelle, in the neighborhood of Gamboa, and the trains depart from Central do Brasil station. The vans to Nova Iguaçu also depart from the region of Central do Brasil.

The main road access to Nova Iguaçu for those coming from the downtown area of Rio are the BR-116 highway (Via Dutra) and the Light highway (Via Light).

• Bell tower of Igreja da Nossa Senhora da Piedade. Tower and church ruins which date back to the original settlement in the 17th century. 
• Chapel of Engenho da Posse, Alto da Posse - Bairro da Posse. Constructed between 1630 and 1630. 
• Igreja de Santo Antônio de Jacutinga, Avenida Getúlio de Moura. Constructed in the 19th century. 
• Igreja de Santo Antônio da Prata, Estrada Dr. Plínio Casado - Prata. A church in the neighborhood of Prata, close to the Belford Roxo municipal boundary and its neighborhood also called "Santo Antônio da Prata" or "Vila Santo Antônio da Prata". 
• Parque Municipal de Nova Iguaçu. 
• Reserva Biológica Federal do Tinguá. A large biological reserve in the far north of the municipality of Nova Iguaçu. 
• Serra de Madureira. A mountain range in the far south of Nova Iguaçu, also known as "Serra de Maxambomba" and "Serra do Vulcão". 
• Serra do Tinguá. A sector of Serra do Mar, where a big part of the Reserva Biológica do Tinguá is located. 
• Área de Proteção Ambiental de Gericinó-Mendanha - APA de Gericinó-Mendanha (Gericinó-Mendanha Environmental Protection Area) - An Environmental Protection Area located between Nova Iguaçu, Mesquita, Nilópolis and Rio de Janeiro.
• Rio Tinguá (Tinguá River) - River that crosses the urban center of Tinguá.
• Rio Iguaçu (Iguaçu River) - River that crosses Iguaçu Velho.
• Rio Guandu (Guandu River) - A major river in Baixada Fluminense.
• Estação de Tratamento de Água do Guandu (Guandu Water Treatment Station) - The largest water treatment station in the world in continuous production, which supplies around 9 million people in the municipálity of Rio de Janeiro and in the region of Baixada Fluminense.
• Ruínas da Fazenda São Bernardino (Ruins of the São Bernardino Farm) - in Iguaçu Velho.
• Ruínas da estação ferroviária de Cava (Ruins of the train station of Cava) - An old train station of the 19th century Rio d'Ouro Railway, located in Vila de Cava.
• Estação ferroviária de Tinguá (Train station of Tinguá) - An old train station in Tinguá.

• Restaurante Sabores de Lisboa - Rua Dom Walmor, 438 - Centro, Nova Iguaçu.

• Apart Hotel Mont Blanc Diamond Flat - Rua Iracema Soares Pereira Junqueira, 99 - Centro, Nova Iguaçu.

• Queimados
• Japeri
• Paracambi
• Seropédica
• Mesquita
• Nilópolis
• Belford Roxo
• São João de Meriti
• Duque de Caxias
• Rio de Janeiro

Fortaleza ← Rio de Janeiro ←

N  S

→ Volta Redonda → São Paulo