Catbalogan City is a 5th class city in the province of Samar, Philippines. It is the capital city of Samar. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 84,180 people in 16,100 households.
The capital city of Catbalogan is located in the western seacoast of the Province of Samar. It is bounded on the north by the municipalities of Tarangnan and San Jorge, on the east by the municipality of Jiabong, and on the west by Maqueda Bay. The Pan-Philippine Highway (Maharlika Highway) traverses the city from Barangay San Vicente in the north through the poblacion to Barangay Lagundi in the south. It is about 800 kilometers south of Manila.
The climate is classified as 4th type (mild) wherein rainfall is more or less distributed throughout the year.
In Catbalogan City there is hardly a month without rainfall. The driest month is April. Generally, there is no distinct dry season but the months of February, March, April and May comprise the shortest dry season. Rainfall is more or less uniform throughout the year and heaviest during the months of November and December.
Typhoons are very frequent during the months of August, September, October, November and December. Although Samar (Catbalogan City) has been popularly known as a typhoon-prone area, the truth is, the island of Samar is only being used as a reference point by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA.)