The major geographical features of this commune are the Allipén River and the Colico Lake.

According to Friar Ernesto Wilhelm de Moesbach Cunco is etymologically derived from the Mapuche language's word for "dark red" (cun) "water" (co) meaning water with volcanic ash or silt.

In 1918 Cunco was the ending point of the first flight by an airplane across the Andes, when Luis Candelaria flew from Zapala, Argentina, on April 13.

[4] According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Cunco spans an area of 1,906.5 km2 (736 sq mi) and has 18,703 inhabitants (9,203 men and 9,500 women).

[2] As a commune, Cunco is a third-level administrative division of Chile administered by a communal council, headed by an alcalde who is directly elected every four years.