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).