Gonten has an area, as of 2011[update], of 24.7 square kilometers (9.5 sq mi).

It consists of the linear village of Gonten and the hamlets of Gontenbad and Jakobsbad.

The municipality was formally established in 1872 when Gonten was joined with the rhodes Stechlenegg and Rinkenbach The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Per pale Or and Gules two Pilgrim Sticks counterchanged and overall a Base Vert.

The background of the coat of arms is divided into red and gold.

The pilgrim staffs symbolize the apostle Jacob the elder.

[2] Most of the population (as of 2000[update]) speaks German (1,353 or 98.1%), with Albanian being second most common (10 or 0.7%) and Serbo-Croatian being third (6 or 0.4%).

[6] In 2008[update] there were no live births to Swiss citizens and no deaths in the district.

[7] About 65.5% of the total households were owner occupied, or in other words did not pay rent (though they may have a mortgage or a rent-to-own agreement).

[2] The historical population is given in the following chart:[1][10] The Bürgerhaus Roothuus is listed as a Swiss heritage site of national significance.

In the federal election, a total of 226 votes were cast, and the voter turnout was 21.1%.

[2] There were 675 residents of the district who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 38.2% of the workforce.

In the tertiary sector; 32 or 17.8% were in the sale or repair of motor vehicles, 20 or 11.1% were in the movement and storage of goods, 45 or 25.0% were in a hotel or restaurant, 6 or 3.3% were the insurance or financial industry, 6 or 3.3% were technical professionals or scientists, 9 or 5.0% were in education and 37 or 20.6% were in health care.

[2] The district has three railway stations: Gonten, Jakobsbad, and Gontenbad.

From the 2000 census[update], 1,245 or 90.3% were Roman Catholic, while 78 or 5.7% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church.