Your lymph nodes are small, bean‑shaped immune glands found all over your body, with bigger “clusters” in a few key spots.

Main places you can feel them

You usually only notice lymph nodes when they swell during an infection (like a sore throat or skin infection). Common areas:

  • Neck (cervical nodes): Along the sides of your neck, under your jaw, and sometimes behind your ears.
  • Armpits (axillary nodes): Deep in your armpits, in the soft hollow.
  • Groin (inguinal nodes): In the crease between your upper thigh and pelvis.

These are the spots most people check when they say, “I think my glands are up.”

Other important lymph node areas

Many lymph nodes sit deeper inside the body, so you cannot feel them from the outside.

  • Inside the chest : Between and around the lungs and along the windpipe (mediastinal nodes).
  • In the abdomen/stomach area : Along major blood vessels and around organs like the intestines.
  • In the head and face : Around the back of the head, near the ears, and in front of the ears (occipital, parotid, etc.).

Altogether, adults have hundreds of lymph nodes spread through these regions.

How to think of their layout

A simple way to picture it: nodes sit like tiny checkpoints along drainage “roads” (lymph vessels) that carry fluid from tissues back toward the heart. Clusters appear where lots of these drainage paths meet, such as the neck, armpits, chest, abdomen, and groin.

When to worry about a lymph node

Most swollen nodes are from minor infections, like a cold or skin irritation. But you should get checked by a doctor if:

  1. A node is bigger than about a marble and stays that way for more than a couple of weeks.
  1. It feels very hard, fixed in place, or has an odd shape.
  1. You also have weight loss, night sweats, or fevers you cannot explain.

If you’re unsure about a lump or swelling anywhere, especially if it’s new or changing, it’s safest to have a healthcare professional examine it.

TL;DR: Your main feelable lymph nodes are in your neck, armpits, and groin, with many more hidden inside your chest and abdomen, all acting as filters for your immune system.