The kidneys are located high in your abdomen toward your back, on either side of your spine, just below your rib cage.

Quick Scoop: Kidney Location

  • You have two kidneys, one on the left and one on the right of the spinal column.
  • They sit in the upper part of the abdominal cavity, roughly between the bottom of the rib cage and the middle of the lower back.
  • They are positioned toward the back of the body (in the “posterior abdominal wall”), not right behind the belly button.
  • The right kidney usually sits a little lower than the left because the liver is above it.
  • The upper parts of the kidneys are partially protected by the lower ribs.

A simple way to picture it: place your hands on your lower back with your thumbs just under the back of your rib cage—roughly there is where your kidneys are located.

If you ever have severe or persistent pain in this area, especially with symptoms like fever, burning urination, or blood in the urine, it’s important to get medical care promptly.

TL;DR: Your kidneys sit high in your abdomen, against your back, one on each side of your spine, just under the rib cage.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.