The city is on the coast of the "Gonaïve" Bay, on the northeast of the Gulf of Gonâve, about 171 km north of the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince. It is also the chief town of an "arrondissement" (a part of a department) with the same name. The "arrondissement" has three "communes" (a "commune" is like a municipality): Gonaïves, Ennery and Estère.