Pontorson is situated about 10 kilometres from the Mont Saint-Michel, to which it is connected by highway and a walking path along the river Couesnon.

It was home to a fortress, which was razed to the ground in 1623 by order of King Louis XIII of France.

Declared operational on 10 August, the airfield was designated as "A-28", it was used by the 368th Fighter Group which flew P-47 Thunderbolts until early September when the unit moved into Central France.

In 1973 Pontorson absorbed seven former communes: Ardevon, Beauvoir (re-established in 1989), Boucey, Cormeray, Curey, Les Pas and Moidrey.

Pontorson is home to the nearest SNCF railway station to France's second most popular tourist attraction, Mont Saint-Michel.