Kalimpong is a hill station (a hill town) nestled in the Shiwalik Hills (or Lower Himalaya) in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located at 27.06° N 88.47° E at an average elevation of 1,247 m (4,100 feet). The town is the headquarters of the Kalimpong subdivision, a part of the district of Darjeeling. A major forward base of the Indian Army is located on the outskirts of the town.

Kalimpong is well known for its many educational institutions, which attract students from all over North East India, West Bengal, Bhutan, Nepal, and Bangladesh. Some of these famous education institutes are Dr. Graham's Homes (co-ed, existing for more than 100 years, 500 acres (2.0 km²) of land), St. Augustine School (only for boys), St. Joseph Convent (for girls only), Rockvale Academy (co-ed), Saptashri Gyanpeeth (co-ed).

In recent times, Kalimpong has become an important tourist destination owing to its temperate climate and proximity to popular tourist locations in the region. Kalimpong is famous for its flower market, especially the wide array of orchids. Flower nurseries involved in exporting Himalayan grown flower bulbs, tubers and rhizomes contribute to the economy of Kalimpong. It also houses several Buddhist monasteries which hold a number of rare Tibetan Buddhist scriptures.

Morgan House, is a classic example of colonial architecture in Kalimpong.Until the mid-19th century, the area around Kalimpong was ruled intermittently by the Sikkimese and Bhutanese kingdoms. Present-day Kalimpong is believed to have once been the forward position of the Bhutanese in the 18th century, overlooking the Teesta Valley. The area was sparsely populated by the indigenous Lepcha community and migrant Bhutia and Limbu tribes.

After the Anglo-Bhutan War in 1864, the Treaty of Sinchula (1865) was signed in which Bhutanese held territory east of the Teesta River was ceded to the British East India Company. At that time, Kalimpong was a hamlet, with only two or three families known to reside there. The first recorded mention of the town was a fleeting reference made that year by Ashley Eden, a government official with the Bengal Civil Service.

A view from the Deolo Resort, atop Deolo Hill, Kalimpong's highest point.The town centre is located on a ridge connecting two hills, Deolo Hill and Durpin Hill, at an elevation of 1,247 m (4,091 ft). Deolo, the highest point in Kalimpong, has an altitude of 1,704 m (5,590 ft) and Durpin Hill is at an elevation of 1,372 m (4,501 ft). The River Teesta flows in the valley below and separates Kalimpong from the state of Sikkim.

The Shiwalik Hills, like most of the Himalayan foothills, have steep slopes and soft, loose topsoil, leading to frequent landslides in the monsoon season. The hills are nestled within higher peaks and the snow-clad Himalayan ranges tower over the town in the distance. Mount Kanchenjunga at 8,591 m (28,185 ft) the world's third tallest peak, is clearly visible from Kalimpong.

View of the Himalaya range.Kalimpong has five distinct seasons: spring, summer, autumn, winter and the monsoons. Summers are mild, with the highs usually never crossing 30 °C (86 °F), and last between May and June. Summers are followed by the monsoon rains which lash the town between June and September. The monsoons are severe, often causing landslides which sequester the town from the rest of India. Winter lasts from December to February, with the maximum temperature being around 15 °C (59 °F). During the monsoon and winter seasons, Kalimpong is often enveloped by fog. The annual temperature ranges from a high of 30 °C to a low of -4 °C (25 °F).

Many locales in Kalimpong are named based on its distance in miles from Teesta Bazaar, a town which lies on the Teesta River in the valley below. For example, the locale 13th mile would be situated at a distance of 13 miles (21 km) from Teesta Bazaar.

Popular festivals include Diwali, Christmas, Dussera or dasain in the local nepali dialect and the Buddhist festival of Losar. Languages spoken in Kalimpong include Nepali, which is the predominant language; Lepcha, Limbu, Tamang, Kirat, Hindi, English and Bengali. Soccer, Cricket and Archery are the most popular sports in Kalimpong.

The most popular snack in Kalimpong is the momo, steamed dumplings made up of pork, beef or vegetable cooked in a wrapping of flour and served with watery soup. Wai-Wai is a packaged snack comprising of noodles which are eaten either dry or in soup form. Churpee, a kind of hard cheese made from cow's or yak's milk is sometimes chewed. A form of noodle called Thukpa, served in soup form is also popular in Kalimpong.

There are a large number of restaurants which offer a wide variety of cuisines, ranging from Indian to continental, to cater to the tourists. Tea is the most popular beverage in Kalimpong, procured from the famed Darjeeling tea gardens.

Heliconia.The area around Kalimpong lies in the Eastern Himalayas, which is classified as an ecological hotspot, one of only three among the Ecoregions of India. Acacia is the most commonly found specie at lower altitudes, while Cinnamon, ficus, bamboo, cacti and Cardamom, are found in the hillsides around Kalimpong. The forests found at higher altitudes are made up of pine trees and other evergreen alpine vegetation. Seven species of rhododendrons are found in the region east of Kalimpong.

The temperate deciduous forests include oak, birch, maple and alder. Three hundred species of orchid are found around Kalimpong, and Poinsettia and sunflower are some of the wild species that line the roads of Kalimpong. Cacti grown in Kalimpong.The Red Panda, Himalayan Black Bear, Clouded Leopard, Siberian Weasel, Asiatic black bear, barking deer, Himalayan Tahr, goral, gaur and pangolin are some of the fauna found near Kalimpong. Avifauna of the region include the Himalayan Griffon Vulture, Monal pheasant, hornbills, Black Baza, Besra, Eurasian Sparrowhawks and the Kalij Pheasant.

Kalimpong also has over forty-six nurseries which mainly cultivate gladioli which account for 80%[10] of India's production and orchids, which are exported to many parts of the world. The Nature Interpretation Centre and the Rishi Bankim Chandra Park are two ecological museums within Kalimpong.