The Zeppelin Observatory is located in the Arctic on Zeppelin Mountain, 474 meters a.s.l, close to the town of Ny-Ålesund in the island archipelago of Svalbard. Zeppelin Mountain is an undisturbed environment, far away from major pollution sources. Most of the time it is above the local inversion layer, so influence from any local pollution sources – such as from the nearby community of Ny-Ålesund – is also limited.

Svalbard is very sparsely populated, and Ny-Ålesund is no exception: it has ~35 permanent residents, with up to 150 additional scientists during the summer peak season. Large areas of Svalbard (about 60%) are covered with glaciers, which at several places stretch well out into the sea.