It is bounded on the north by the municipality of Palo, Tolosa on the south, Dagami and Tabon-tabon on its west side and on the east by San Pedro Bay.

In Visayan and Mindanao history, a person who served as a lookout is there to watch for Moro pirates who would attack and plunder settlements along the coast.

From 1710 up to the end of the Spanish Colonial era in the 1900s and the start of the American occupation, 47 persons became chief executives of the municipality.

Through the efforts of Magdalino Vivero and Domingo Camacho, the Spanish government was petitioned to grant Tolosa autonomy from the municipality.

This unfortunate event destroyed the municipal building, including its records, and a lot of the big ancestral houses of Spanish architecture along Calle Real.

When the US Allied Forces stormed the town during the liberation of Leyte, it resulted in further destruction of the municipal hall (Lian Chong Building) and the few remaining houses along Calle Real.

Shortly thereafter, the United States Sixth Army, under the command of Lieutenant General Walter Krueger, established its headquarters in Tanauan.

[8] On November 15, 1944, a meeting was held at the site of the Sixth Army headquarters by the commanders and staff members of the major units who participated in the Luzon Campaign.

[9] When the US and Allied Forces captured the airstrip at Tacloban, the work to further develop it for US warplanes was handicapped due to the heavy concentration of troops, supplies, and equipment in the area during the early stages of the operation.

Works were also simultaneously done on the other two airstrips in Buri and San Pablo in the vicinity of Burauen, but these were halted in the latter part of November 1944, as it was deemed that a considerable amount of time and effort had been spent in the futile attempt to make these airfields usable.

[8] The airfield site covers an area bounded on the north, south and west by Embarcadero River, and on the east by San Pedro Bay.

The site was favorably chosen due to its generally flat terrain, good sandy surface, and satisfactory drainage, and was also proven to be an excellent location for an airfield.

Today, a small remnant of this airfield can still be found in an area called "Pawa", located in Barangay Santo Niño.

Most of the remaining areas are now occupied by large business establishments such as the Pepsi Cola Tanauan Plant and New Leyte Edible Oil Manufacturing Corporation compound.

After Tiu completed his term, his vice mayor, Agapito Pagayanan Jr., ran for the mayoralty position during the 2010 general elections and won.

However, Tagalog is widely understood and spoken by the locals when talking to other people coming from Manila and other Philippine provinces.

Filipino and English languages are officially taught in schools as part of the primary and secondary education curriculum requirement.

Poverty incidence of Tanauan Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26] In 2005, the municipality registered a total income of PHP 47.6 million.

[6] This economic performance was attributed largely to the reforms and initiatives introduced by Mayor Roque Tiu, which streamlined the processes of getting business and license permits.

Tanauan is known for various locally-made crafts, which include bamboo-craft,[29] mat-weaving, bolos, brooms, hats, bricks, pottery, nipa shingles, and virgin coconut oil—most of which are made of local and indigenous materials.

During weddings, it is customary for the bride and groom to do the traditional folk dance called Kuratsa, and members of the family and guests alike are encouraged to pin money on their attire as a symbol of good luck and prosperity for the couple's future.

During the fiesta, it is a tradition to prepare food in every house and invite guests and visitors to share their meal as a sign of thanksgiving.

He added a transept and constructed thick rock walls at the perimeter of the church with towers on each four corners for defense against pirates.

In the afternoon of August 14, the traditional Pasaka Festival competition is held, which features a colorful presentation of a dance drama and street-dancing that depicts a community paying homage to the Blessed Virgin's Assumption.

The festival culminates on August 15, the Feast of the town's patroness, and a Holy Mass celebrated at the Our Lady of the Assumption Parish Church.

The people of Leyte describe the tikling bird, from which the tinikling dance got its name, as having one of the most unique movements—walking around and between tree branches and grass stems.

Sa Tinikling naipamalas ang likas na halina at pagiging masayahin na nabubukod-tangi sa mga Pilipino.”[38] Since then, the municipal government of Tanauan requested historians and enthusiasts of culture and the arts to shed light on the issue, so that the local government can initiate moves towards preserving the culture of the municipality.

De Veyra, a native of Leyte, collected folk songs in his book Mga Ambahan, which included one titled "Tinikling".

Since Tanauan is situated along the coast facing San Pedro Bay, the Palau national started making a skimboard.

The first skimboarding competition was organized by Darwin Maceda with his friends Alexander Cumpio and Nerizza Reynera at Tanauan's Bantay Dagat area on March 31, 2002.