On the eastern side of the mountains are a series of deep glens and valleys The most famous of these is Glendalough, with its two lakes. At Powerscourt there are waterfalls and gorges, also at the wooded Glen of the Downs. The eastern slopes drain mainly to the River Avoca through the Vales of Clara and Avoca, and the Meeting of the Waters made famous by the song of Thomas Moore. The valleys on the western flanks of the mountains are more open, as in the Glen of Imaal. The west of the county is drained mainly by the Rivers Liffey and Slaney.

Service industries are the major employer in the county accounting for three fifths of employment. Tourism and recreation are of major importance. Only about one eighth of Wicklow workers have jobs in agriculture. Farming in the uplands is quite different from that on the lowlands. The amount of good land on farms is limited, and there is little arable farming. Sheep, which graze on the mountains, are very important. There is also rearing of young cattle. The lowlands are fertile and have more mixed farming. Barley, wheat, and potatoes are the main crops, with some oats, sugar beet and turnips. Beef cattle production is of major importance. There is dairy farming supplying milk to Dublin.

The major transport routes in Wicklow are the railway and N11 road along the eastern lowland from Dublin to Wexford. Arklow is a small port, boat building was carried on there by Tyrell's who built many fine fishing trawlers, yachts and pleasure craft, I really don't know if they are still in business, hopefully they are.

Wicklow sends five members to Dail Eireann. Local government is carried out mainly by a county council based town. There are urban district councils in Arklow, Bray, and Wicklow. The annual rainfall rises from less than 100 centimeters along the coast to over 200 centimeters on the higher mountains. The average temperatures are 5 °C in January and 16 °C in July. During the 1970's there was a short-lived upsurge in the traditional copper-mining industry in the Avoca valley.