The city is on the "Baie de Fort-Liberté" ("Fort-Liberté Bay") about 56 km east of Cap-Haïtien and to the west of the Dominican Republic. 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): Fort-Liberté, Ferrier (Kreyòl: "Ferye") and Perches (Kreyòl: "Opèch").