The municipality is located on the coast just south of the Arctic Circle, on the western edge of the Saltfjellet mountain range.

The Lurøygården (Lurøy Farm) on the island of Lurøya is a more-than-200-year-old renaissance garden with old plants, a pool, and a nearly 20-metre (66 ft) high Copper Beech.

On 1 January 1872, the far western island district (population: 289) was separated from Lurøy to become the new Træna Municipality.

[7] The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the island of Lurøya (Old Norse: Lúðrøy) since the first Lurøy Church was built there.

The official blazon is "Or, a navigation cairn sable" (Norwegian: I gull en svart sjøvarde).

The small strip of mainland Lurøy runs from Tonnes in the north along Norwegian County Road 17 to Stokkvågen along the Sjona fjord in the south.

The major islands include Aldra, Lurøya, Onøya, Stigen, Solvær, and Lovund.

There are also two islands in the northern part of Lurøya that are divided between Lurøy and neighboring Rødøy Municipality: Nesøya and Hestmona.

The ferry reaches Onøy (which has a bridge to Lurøya), Solvær and Lovund 5 times per day.

The map has been divided into parts consistent with the enumeration districts (Norwegian: tellingskrets) in the 1920 census of Norway.

This tradition began to change in the mid to late 19th century, and inherited surnames were codified into law in 1923.

The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Lurøy is made up of 19 representatives that are elected to four year terms.