In the northern part of town the Ōmi River flows into the Sea of Japan and in the southern area, the Unoke River flows into the Kahoku Lagoon which marks the southernmost part of Kahoku.

Kahoku has a humid continental climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by mild summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall.

[2] Per Japanese census data,[5] the population of Kahoku has remained steady over the past 40 years.

The villages of Takamatsu, Nanatsuka and Unoke were established with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889.

Kahoku has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 18 members.