The topography of Daporijo is highly undulating and mountainous. The town itself is built on a relatively narrow strip of valley floor and lower hill slopes along the Subansiri River, at an elevation of approximately 600 meters (1,968 feet).
From the riverbank, the land rises sharply into steep, terraced hills and towering mountain ridges that reach much higher elevations. Deep river gorges are a hallmark of the local topography, requiring the construction of traditional bamboo and cane suspension bridges, as well as modern steel bridges, to connect communities separated by the rushing waters of the Subansiri.