Henan Province has abundant geothermal resources, with the northern and central regions having undergone extensive exploration and large-scale development. However, the southern region of Henan has been subject to limited exploration efforts, resulting in a scarcity of drilling data. Consequently, research on its structural characteristics, stratigraphic distribution, geothermal geological characteristics and resource potential is relatively underdeveloped. This knowledge gap poses challenges in meeting the demands for industrialization and large-scale development. This article is based on regional geological characteristics, combined with 2D seismic interpretation results, and previous research, conducts research on geothermal geological characteristics, resource evaluation, and favorable area prediction in the Zhumadian area. The study identifies five secondary structural units in the Zhumadian area: Wuying depression located in the southwestern part of Zhoukou depression; Zhumadian-huaibin sag; Pingyu uplift; Changshan uplift; and Biyang sag situated in the eastern part of Nanxiang basin. With exception to Zhengyang and Queshan areas which have poor geothermal geological conditions due to being located within Changshan uplift area, other regions exhibit favorable conditions for geothermal resource development. The research area has developed three stratified geothermal reservoirs including Neogene-Paleogene sandstone reservoirs and Cambrian-Ordovician carbonate rock reservoirs with a total static geothermal resource estimated at approximately 1.15×1015 kJ. The prediction indicates that downtown areas of Biyang County, Xincai Count, and the western part of Yicheng District possess moderate depth of reservoirs coupled with large water inflow, and high temperature making them most suitable for geothermal resource development.