Shepparton is a major commercial centre, located between Nagambie and Numurkah on the Goulburn Valley Highway which is the main inland road route between Melbourne and Brisbane.
Shepparton is situated within the rich dairying, fruit growing and agricultural region of the Goulburn Valley, with the area responsible for producing around 25 percent of Victoria's rural output. Major food companies in the area include SPC Ardmona and Campbells Soups. SPC Ardmona have a factory sales supermarket open to the public in Corio Street which they claim to be Australia's largest food factory outlet.
The large commercial centre of Shepparton is based around the main thoroughfare of Wyndham Street and the mall along part of Maude Street. A communications tower, located off the Maude Street Mall, is open daily and offers visitors spectacular views over the city and surrounding countryside from a public viewing platform.
Shepparton's cultural precinct is located in Wellsford Street and consists of an art gallery featuring Australian ceramics and paintings, and a major war memorial located next to the council offices. On the corner of Wellsford Street and High Street is the Paul Gribben Historical Precinct, consisting of the Shepparton Heritage Centre which contains thousands of items tracing Shepparton's history housed in the old Forester's Hall (built in 1873) and farming equipment displays in the surrounding parkland.
A network of parks, reserves and forests follow the paths of the Goulburn and Broken Rivers through Shepparton, offering good bushwalking tracks and picnic spots. There is a dense state forest between Shepparton and neighbouring Mooroopna along the river, with the Peter Ross Edwards Causeway (Midland Highway) cutting through it to link the two communities together.
Victoria Park Lake, constructed in 1920 from a swamp, is located just south of the heart of Shepparton, fronting the main highway and featuring walking tracks, bike paths, a skate park and boating facilities. Adjacent to the lake is the Aquamoves health and fitness centre which has both indoor and outdoor pools.