[2] The district capital is the town of Port Loko and its largest city is Lunsar.

The other major towns in the district include Masiaka, Rokupr, Pepel, Lungi and Gbinti.

The district occupies a total area of 5,719 km2 (2,208 sq mi) and comprises eleven chiefdoms.

The population of Port Loko District is predominantly Muslim and the Temne people form by far the largest ethnic group in the district.

Prior to the 2017 local administrative reorganization, Port Loko District was made up of eleven chiefdoms as the third level of administrative subdivision.