city today has an area of 14.26 km² 3 abbr=on. Cherbourg is situated at the mouth of the and at the south of the bay between to the east and Cap de La Hague to the west, Cherbourg-Octeville is 120 km from the English coast.

Cherbourg and Octeville-sur-Cherbourg once belonged to the deanery of La Hague, delimited by the Divette. In 1786, a part of Equeurdreville joined Cherbourg, during the construction of the