Itbayat is one of six (6) municipalities that comprise the province of Batanes in the Cagayan Valley. The town is politically subdivided into five (5) barangays, and is a part of the lone Congressional District of Batanes.

There are other islands farther up north, but Itbayat Island is by far the closest inhabited island to Taiwan. Being in Itbayat makes one closer to Taiwan than mainland Luzon.

The island of Itabyat is one of the world’s largest uplifted coral reefs. It is northwest of Batan island bounded on the east by Pacific Ocean, on the west by South China Sea and on the north by small uninhabited islands such as Siayan, Matarem, Misanga, and Mavudis, which form the northern most tip of the Philippines.