The parietal lobe is located near the center of the brain, behind the frontal lobe, in front of the occipital lobe, and above the temporal lobe.

The parietal lobe contains an area known as the primary sensory area. This is where impulses from the skin, such as hot, cold, pain, and touch, are interpreted. Just like the primary motor area in the frontal lobe, the more sensory input that comes from an area of the body (like the fingers), the more surface area of the parietal lobe is dedicated to the processing that information.

The parietal lobe also involves spatial information, which gives us the ability to judge size, distance, and shapes. A specific area, the parietal association cortex, gives us the ability to understand written language and solve mathematical problems.

The left hemisphere of the parietal lobe is often stronger in right-handed person, as well as handling the symbolism of letters and numbers. The right hemisphere is more dominant in left-handed people and helps with images and spatial distances involved in them, such as reading maps.