[3] The term Tabuk comes from the word Tobog which refers to a living stream that flows from Sitio Paligatto in Barangay Balawag to the Chico River.

Finally, in later years, they preferred to spell the letters oc as uk, resulting in the current Tabuk.

They lived in the huge valleys and densely forested plains between the Chico and Cagayan River, and their epic military exploits are recounted in the Kalinga Ullalim.

The American government dispatched six volunteer pioneers from Sitio Tobog and Lubuagan to repopulate the area.

The Lubuagan locals died from malaria, leaving only Tobog newcomers to cultivate the soil in Laya.

Another group from Bontoc and Cervantes, Ilocos Sur, was taken to Tuga and given the required farm implements, such as mosquito nets and kitchen utensils.

On November 18, 2008, the Supreme Court voted 6–5 to revert Tabuk, among other 15 cities', status back to municipalities.

But on August 24, 2010, the court made a reversal again, reinstating its November 2008 decision, making Tabuk and the other 15 cities regular municipalities again.

Tabuk is bordered by Pinukpuk in the north, Rizal in the east, Quezon in Isabela in the southeast, Paracelis in Mountain Province, and Tanudan in the south, and Lubuagan and Pasil in the west.

The road networks connecting Tabuk to the Cagayan Valley and Baguio via Bontoc attracted additional residents and investments, accelerating the economic development of the city.