The village lies about 14 kilometres south-west of Cambrai near the Havrincourt service area on the Autoroute A2.

It stands on the Upper Cretaceous plateau of the Artesian anticline, between the Somme at Péronne and the Escaut at Cambrai.

The village lies north-east of the wood and the A26 runs in curves from north to south of the picture.

The Cardevacque d'Havrincourt family then played a prominent role during the French Régence period (1715–1723).

The construction of the Canal du Nord had reached the commune in 1914 when the First World War broke out.

The taking of Havrincourt was part of the opening phase of the Battle of Cambrai (1917), when tanks were used in a coordinated way for the first time.

On the night of 19–20 November, soldiers of British 62nd (2nd West Riding) Division prepared for the event in Havrincourt Wood.

However, the château was rebuilt by 1925 in the style of the periods of Henri IV and Louis XIII (1589–1643), the equivalent of the English Jacobean.

The Bois d'Havrincourt is extensive and there is a fine panoramic view from the Bridge on the Canal du Nord.