Bacolod City is located on the northwest coast of the Province of Negros Occidental. It is bounded on the northwest by the City of Talisay; on the east by the City of Silay and the City of Victorias; on the east and southwest by the Town of Murcia; on the southwest by the City of Bago; and in the west by the Guimaras Strait. The global location of Bacolod City is 10 degrees, 40 minutes 40 seconds - north and 122 degrees 54 minutes 25 seconds - east with Bacolod Public Plaza as benchmark.

Bacolod has a total land area of 16,269,830.5 hectares, including straits and bodies of water and the 124 hectare reclamation area, and is compose of 61 barangays (villages) and 639 purok (smaller units composing a village). It is accessible by sea through the ports of Banago, the Reclamation area and the port of Pulupandan by air through the Bacolod Airport which is approximately four (4) kilometers away from the city proper.