Rapid growth of urban area and extraordinary population growth are the most ramatic phenomenon associated with urbanization. This also has posed serious implications on the resource base of the region. Some of the causes of the sprawl include – increasing resource consumption and waste, pressure on infrastructure, loss of spaces and assets, change in landuse, population growth etc. present work attempts to evaluate the urban sprawl and its impact on geographical environment of Rishikesh city of Dehradun District (Uttaranchal, India). The image processing technique plays a vital role in identifying the urban growth pattern from the spatial and temporal data captured by the remote sensing techniques. The physical expressions and patterns of urban sprawl on landscapes has been detected, mapped, and analyzed by using remote sensing (RS) and geographical information system (GIS). This urban growth has transformed most of the agricultural land in to industrial, commercial and residential use. It is observed that commercial area has increased in the central part of the city. The areas like river banks, river channels, hill slopes and foothills have been occupied by residential, commercial, and industrial zones. Particularly, Chandrabhaga river bed has been occupied by small scale industries. Although urban expansion cannot be restricted but with proper management and planning, one can restrict and direct this expansion in a desired and suitable way, by protecting the fertile agricultural land.