It is the principal centre of the southern part of the province, the Bolaang Mongondow region, which has been under consideration by the Indonesian government to be separated from the rest of North Sulawesi and formed into a separate province.

The city covers an area of 108.89 km2, and had a population of 107,459 at the 2010 Census,[2] rising to 123,722 at the 2020 Census;[3] the official estimate as at mid 2023 was 123,918 (comprising 63,691 males and 60,227 females).

[1] Under consideration by the Indonesian Government since 2013 (but all such new creations have been held in abeyance since then) is the formation of a new province that would re-unite those territories which were part of the original Bolaang Mongondow Regency before 2007; it was intended that once the Province of "Bolaang Mongondow Raya" (Greater Bolaang Mongondow) is created, Kotamobagu will be approved as the new provincial capital.

[1] The table also includes the location of the district centres, the number of administrative villages in each district (18 classed as urban kelurahan and 15 as rural desa), and its postal codes.

Notes: (a) including 3 kelurahan - Mongondow, Motoboi Kecil and Pobundayan.