Douglaston is located on the North Shore of Long Island, bordered to the east by Little Neck, and to the west by Bayside. Douglaston's two ZIP Codes are 11362 and 11363. Douglaston represents one of the least traditionally urban communities in New York City, with many areas (particularly those north of Northern Boulevard) having a distinctly upscale suburban feel, similar to that of wealthy Nassau County towns located nearby (such as Great Neck).

The Douglaston Long Island Rail Road station, is located at 235th Street and 41st Avenue, off Douglaston Parkway and Wainscott Avenue. Situated on LIRR's Port Washington Branch, a trip from Douglaston to Penn Station takes 30 minutes on a local train, and just over 20 minutes by express train. Douglaston is served by several buses, the main being the Q12, which connects to the subway in Flushing, the Q30, which connects to the subway in Jamaica, the QM5, an express bus which directly to the East Side of Manhattan, theQM8, an express bus directly to Downtown Manhattan, and the QM3, another express bus directly to the East Side of Manhattan. Three major Long Island highways all pass through Douglaston: the Long Island Expressway, Grand Central Parkway, and Cross Island Parkway.