The synthesis, crystal structures, and electronic and magnetic properties of eight new CuII compounds containing the ligand 5,5‐dimethyl‐2,2,′‐bipyridine (dmbpy) with the general formula [CuII(dmbpy)x(L)2] (where L = BF4−, CF3SO3−, NO3−, Br−, NCS−, N3−, HCOO−, and x = 1−3) are reported. The geometries of the CuII ions include a four‐coordinate square‐planar polymeric compound [Cu(dmbpy)(N3)2]n (7), the five‐coordinate compounds, [Cu(dmbpy)2(C2H6O)](CF3SO3)2 (2), [Cu(dmbpy)2(NO3)](NO3) (3), [Cu(dmbpy)2(Br)]Br (5), [Cu(dmbpy)(NCS)2]n (6) and [Cu(dmbpy)2(HCOO)](CF3SO3) (8), which have geometries ranging from square pyramidal to trigonal bipyramidal, and the six‐coordinate compounds [Cu(dmbpy)3](BF4)2(C2H6O) (1) and [Cu(dmbpy)(NO3)2] (4), which adopt an octahedrally based geometry. Except for compounds 3 and 4, with nitrate as the anion, a variation of the copper/ligand ratios in the synthesis has no influence on the stoichiometry. The compounds have been characterised in detail by infrared, ligand field and EPR spectroscopy; the data are consistent with the single‐crystal X‐ray structures. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2004)