New Ross is part of Lunenburg County and is situated on Highway 12 in the heart of Nova Scotia. New Ross is located 90.9 km (56.5 mi.) northwest from Halifax. New Ross is mostly a tourism town, and in summer months its population more than doubles with vacationers and part-time residents. Its economy relies mostly on the land itself, meaning that travelers come from abroad to see the natural beauty of New Ross and its surrounding area, which includes numerous lakes, rolling hills and deep forests.

Since Lunenburg is renowned, among other things, as being the Christmas Tree Capital of the World, New Ross has become known to its locals as the Christmas Tree Capital of Lunenburg County. In fact, New Ross tree producers load up shipments of Christmas trees for as far away as Europe after the first snow fall. The New Ross Christmas Festival is an exciting time in New Ross.

New Ross is home to the Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History, which includes specimens, fossils, models, skeletons and some of North America's oldest dinosaurs. The Ross Farm Museum, which commemorates army captain William Ross, the founder of New Ross in 1816, is a 60-acre area of various 19th century historical buildings and is the focal point of history in New Ross.

New Ross accommodations include bed and breakfasts.