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Saipan is located about three and half hours by air from Tokyo, Japan. It is a part of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, a territory of the United States, which includes fourteen small islands. The closest and only other inhabited neighboring islands include Tinian and Rota.

The Island is about 12.5 miles long and 5.5 miles wide and has a total land area of 46.5 square miles, which is about the size of San Francisco. Saipan is slightly larger than Hong Kong but smaller than the District of Columbia. Mt. Tapotchau on Saipan at 1,554 feet is the highest point. Saipan's 54-mile coastline is irregular except on the western side where there is a fringing reef. Saipan has 14 miles of beach. Of the 8 communities on Saipan, Garapan and Chalan Kanoa may be considered the principal urbanized areas. Saipan is a modern well-developed island with all the amenities of a tropical resort area. The island of Managaha off Saipan western shore is preserved for cultural and recreational purposes. Saipan's lagoon is strewn with the weapons of war. Shipwrecks, aircraft, rifles, bottles, helmets, and other artifacts of the World War II battle can be found on the lagoon floor .

Saipan Lagoon encompasses about 20 square miles of mostly shallow water and is separated from the Philippine Sea by a long barrier reef about 2 miles off shore at the entrance to Tanapag Harbor. The lagoon, with its flora and fauna, is the principal recreational resource of the Commonwealth. The width of the lagoon created by the reef varies from less than 300 feet to over 1.5 miles. The depth of the lagoon varies and in many areas it is possible to wade across to the reef. The Tanapag Harbor area ranges from 20 to 50 feet in depth.