Ilocos Norte is a province of the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region in Luzon. Its capital is Laoag City and is located at the northwest corner of Luzon island, bordering Cagayan and Apayao to the east, and Abra and Ilocos Sur to the south. Ilocos Norte faces the South China Sea to the west and the Luzon Strait to the north.

Long before the coming of the Spaniards, there already existed an extensive region (consisting of the present provinces of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Abra and La Union) renowned for its gold mines. Merchants from Japan and China would often visit the area to trade gold with beads, ceramics and silk. The inhabitants of the region believed to be of Malay origin, called their place "samtoy", from "sao mi toy, which literally meant "our language".

In 1571, when the Spanish conquistadors had Manila more or less under their control, they began looking for new sites to conquer. Legaspi's grandson, Juan de Salcedo, volunteered to lead one of these expeditions. Together with 8 armed boats and 45 men, the 22 year old voyager headed north.

On June 13, 1572, Salcedo and his men landed in Vigan and then proceeded towards Laoag, Currimao and Badoc. As they sailed along the coast, they were surprised to see numerous sheltered coves ("looc") where the locals lived in harmony. As a result, they named the region "Ylocos" and its people "Ylocanos". The largest concentration of people that Salcedo found was in Laoag along the Padian River, and Salcedo gained their friendship after initial skirmishes. Although the presence of the Spanish soldiers may have seemed fleeting to the Ilocanos, Salcedo's exploration marked the beginning of Spanish colonization of the region. As the Christianization of the region grew, so did the landscape of the area. Vast tracks of land were utilized for churches and bell towers in line with the Spanish mission of "bajo las campanas". In the town plaza, it was not uncommon to see garrisons under the church bells. The colonization process was slowly being carried out.

Ilocos Norte was created by virtue of the Spanish Royal Decree on Februray 2, 1818. At that time, the province occupied the coastal plain bordering the China Sea and guarded by the Cordilleras in the northwestern corner of Luzon.

Laoag City, the capital city of Ilocos Norte, is 463 kilometers north of Manila. The municipalities of San Nicolas, Paoay, Sarrat, Vintar, and Bacarra form its boundaries. The foothills of the Cordillera Central mountain range to the east, and the South China Sea to the west are its physical boundaries. Flourishing along the bank of the Laoag River, it is the nerve center of the province and the seat of politics, business, commerce, education and religion. It became a 2nd class city in 1965. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 94,466 people in 19,751 households. "Laoag" (Ilocano for "the place of light or clarity"), is an old, flourishing settlement known to Chinese and Japanese traders when the Spanish conquistador Juan de Salcedo arrived at the northern banks of Padsan River in 1572.

Augustinian missionaries established the Roman Catholic Church in the area in 1580 and designated Saint William, the Hermit as its patron saint. Pedro Almazan crowned himself king of Laoag in 1661 in a bid of insurrection and protest against Spanish tax mandates. Other rebellions flared throughout colonial times, including against Spanish tobacco monopoly in 1782.

Ilocos Norte is also known as a northern tourist destination, being the location of Fort Ilocandia, an upper class beach resort famous among expatriates, and Pagudpud. Ilocos Norte was the birthplace of president Ferdinand Marcos (To this day, Marcos's political vehicle, the New Society Movement, retains a strong following in the province). There is also a windmill in Ilocos Norte, the only one in the whole Philippines. It is located at the Bangui Bay in Ilocos Norte, It consists of 15 wind turbines, totaling 24.75 megawatts. Annual energy production is estimated to be about 74.48 gigawatt hours. The project sponsor is a local private company, NorthWind Power Development Corporation.

Laoag is a 9 to 10 hour drive from Manila depending on the traffic or how fast you are going. Provincial buses also provide transportation from Baguio City, Manila, and a number of other cities. There are air-conditioned buses that leave their Manila stations for Laoag. The buses, which leave on scheduled runs, do stopovers at designated points along the route for refreshments and other necessities. Most of the bus terminals are located in Cubao and within the University Belt area particularly in Espana Blvd in Manila. There is also a bus terminal in Pasay City located along EDSA near Pasay Rotonda / EDSA MRT-Taft Ave. station and is around 200 meters before reaching the rotunda when southbound. 

Laoag International Airport services flights to and from Taiwan and some charter flights by Philippine carriers. It is a 1 hour flight from Manila. The town experiences the prevailing monsoon climate of Northern Luzon, characterized by a dry season from November to April and a wet season from May to October, occasionally visited by powerful typhoons.