Tacloban (/tækˈloʊbən/ tak-LOH-ban; Tagalog pronunciation: [tɐkˈloban]), officially the City of Tacloban (Waray: Syudad han Tacloban; Filipino: Lungsod ng Tacloban), is a highly urbanized city on Leyte island in the Eastern Visayas region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, Tacloban has a population of 251,881, making it the most populous city in the Eastern Visayas. The city is located 360 miles (580 km) southeast of Manila.

Tacloban is the regional center of the Eastern Visayas region. It is also the largest city and capital of the province of Leyte, wherein it is geographically situated and grouped under the province by the Philippine Statistics Authority, but the city is governed and administered independently from it.

Tacloban City was briefly the capital of the Philippines under the Commonwealth Government, from October 20, 1944, to February 27, 1945. In an extensive survey conducted by the Asian Institute of Management Policy Center and released in July 2010, Tacloban City ranks as the fifth most competitive city in the Philippines, and second in the emerging cities category. On November 8, 2013, the city was largely destroyed by Typhoon Haiyan, having previously suffered similar destruction and loss of life in 1897 and 1912. On January 17, 2015, Pope Francis visited Tacloban during his Papal Visit to the Philippines and held a mass at Barangay San Jose, and later he led mass of 30,000 people in front of the airport.

The area got its name from the word taklub, a bamboo tray used to catch crabs or shrimp.

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Tacloban was first known as Kankabatok, an allusion to the first inhabitants – Kabatok. They established their dwellings in the vicinity of the present-day Santo Niño Church. Others who came later were Gumoda, Haraging, and Huraw who erected their settlements on nearby sites. Huraw's domain is the hill where the city hall now sits. The combined settlements acquired the name Kankabatok, meaning "property of Kabatok's."

The constant threat of pirates due to its lack of a natural barrier hindered the development and progress of the settlement. And so the place never figured out the early centuries of the Spanish colonization of Leyte. When the Jesuits (the first evangelizers of Leyte) left in 1768, the Augustinians took over, and in 1770 they established the barrio with a chapel (visita) of Tacloban under the jurisdiction of Palo.

The Augustinians who came from the Province of the Holy Name of Jesus based in Cebu were also responsible in introducing the devotion to the Santo Niño becoming therefore the heavenly patron of the settlement. With the Moro raids in check, the place became a hub for commercial activity and soon after the place was renamed Tacloban becoming an independent municipality and then capital of the province of Leyte. In 1843, the Augustinians ceded the administration of the parish to the Franciscans.

The change of the name came about in this manner: Kankabatok was a favorite haunt of fishermen. They would use a bamboo contraption called a "taklub" to catch crabs, shrimps or fish. When asked where they were going, the fishermen would answer, "(to) tarakluban", which meant the place where they used the device to catch these marine resources. Eventually, the name Tarakluban or Tacloban took prominence.

It is not known when Tacloban became a municipality because records supporting this fact were destroyed during a typhoon. It is commonly believed that Tacloban was officially proclaimed a municipality in 1770s. In 1768, Leyte and Samar were separated into two provinces, each constituting a politico-military province. Due to its strategic location, Tacloban became a vital trading point between the two provinces.

The capital of Leyte was transferred from one town to another with Tacloban as the last on February 26, 1830. The decision to make Tacloban the capital was based on the following reasons: 1) ideal location of the port and 2) well-sheltered and adequate facilities. On June 20, 1952, Tacloban was proclaimed a chartered city by virtue of Republic Act No. 760.

The arrival of Colonel Arthur Murray in 1901 made him the first military governor of Leyte. His first official act was the opening of Tacloban port to world commerce. Before World War II, Tacloban was the commercial, education, social and cultural center of the Province of Leyte. Copra and abaca were exported in large quantities. The leading institutions were: Leyte Normal School, Leyte High School, Leyte Trade School, Holy Infant Academy and Tacloban Catholic Institute.

In November 1912, a typhoon swept through the central Philippines and "practically destroyed" Tacloban. In Tacloban and Capiz on the island of Panay, the death toll was 15,000, half the population of those cities at the time.

On May 25, 1942, Japanese forces landed in Tacloban, signalling the beginning of their two-year occupation of Leyte. They fortified the city and improved its airfield. Since San Pedro Bay was ideal for larger vessels, the Japanese Imperial Naval Forces made Tacloban a port of call and entry. This time was considered the darkest in the history of Tacloban and the country due to the incidence of torture among civilians, including the elderly. In response, guerrilla groups operated in Leyte – the most notable of which was the group of Nieves Fernandez. The Japanese established a "comfort station" in the city, where they kidnapped local girls, teenagers and young adults who they then forced into becoming sex slaves under the gruesome "comfort women" system.

Leyte was the first to be liberated by the combined Filipino and American troops. General Douglas MacArthur's assault troops landed in the Tacloban and Palo beaches (White Beach and Red Beach, respectively) and in the neighbouring town of Dulag (Blue Beach) on October 20, 1944. These landings signalled the eventual victory of the Filipino and American forces and the fulfillment of MacArthur's famous promise: "I Shall Return."

Three days later, on October 23, at a ceremony at the Capitol Building in Tacloban, MacArthur, accompanied by President Sergio Osmeña, made Tacloban the temporary seat of the Commonwealth Government and temporary capital of the Philippines until the complete liberation of the country. The provincial government of Leyte and the municipal government of Tacloban were re-established.

Paulo Jaro was the Liberation mayor of Tacloban. The first mayor of this capital upon inauguration of the Philippine Republic was Epifanio Aguirre.

On January 8, 1960, MacArthur made his "sentimental" journey to Leyte. He was greeted with cheers by locals when he visited Tacloban.

The city was proclaimed as a highly urbanized city by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on October 4, 2008 and ratified by the people on December 18, 2008. Tacloban was officially declared an HUC at 10:40PM of that day.

On November 8, 2013 (PST), Tacloban was hit by the full force of Typhoon Haiyan, causing massive destruction across the city. Dead bodies were scattered on the streets, trees were uprooted, and a 13 ft (4 m) storm surge largely destroyed the airport, though it functioned soon after as a makeshift command and evacuation center. After taking a helicopter flight over the city, US Marine Brigadier General Paul Kennedy was quoted as saying, "I don't believe there is a single structure that is not destroyed or severely damaged in some way – every single building, every single house." Widespread looting and violence is reported to have taken place and local government virtually collapsed, as many city officials were victims. President Aquino declared a state of emergency in Tacloban. The official final death toll stood at 6,201.

On January 17, 2015, Pope Francis, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, arrived in Tacloban to celebrate Mass with the survivors of Haiyan (Yolanda). The pope arrived at Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport on a flight operated by Philippine Airlines.

Tacloban is located on the northeastern tip of Leyte Island, with its easternmost part facing Cancabato Bay. The bay is at the east mouth of San Juanico Strait. The Tacloban territory follows the length of the strait, along with Babatngon municipality north of the city. The strait divides the islands of Leyte and Samar.

• 
  Tacloban Bay
• 
  The eastern part of the city facing Cancabato Bay.
• 
  San Pedro Bay shore facing northeastward towards Cancabato Bay and the San Juanico Strait beyond, backgrounded by Samar island on the horizon.
• 
  Fishing folks on outrigger canoes on Cancabato Bay, with the San Juanico Strait and Samar island in the background.
• 
  Hills around Tacloban
• 
  Coastal village in Tacloban

Tacloban is politically subdivided into 138 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

Number	Name
1	Libertad
2	Jones
3	Upper Nulatula
4	Libertad
5	T. Claudio
5-A	T. Claudio
6
6-A	Sto. Nino
7
8	T. Claudio
8-A
12	GE Palanog
13	Salazar/J. Romualdez
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21	P. Burgos
22
23
23-A
24
25
26	P.Gomez
27
28
29	P.Gomez
30 Burgos
31
32
33
34	Real
35
35-A
36	Sabang
36-A	Sabang
37	Sea Wall
37-A	G.E. Palanog Gawad Kalinga Village
38	Calvary Hill
39	Calvary Hill
40	Calvary Hill
41	Calvary Hill
42-A	Quarry
42-B	Quarry
43-A	Quarry
43-B	Quarry
44-A	Quarry
44-B	Quarry
45
46	Imelda/Juan Luna
47
48-A
48-B
49	Youngfield
50	Youngfield
50-A	Youngfield
50-B	Youngfield
51
51-A
52	Lucban Magallanes
53	Magallanes
54	Magallanes
54-A	Magallanes
55	El Reposo
56	El Reposo
56-A	El Reposo
57	Whitelane Sampaguita
58
59	Sagkahan Picas
59-A	Sampaguita
59-B	Sampaguita
59-E	Sagkahan Picas
60	Sagkahan Aslum
60-A	Sagkahan
61	Sagkahan
62	Sagkahan Saging
62-A	Sagkahan Ilong
62-B	Sagkahan Picas
63	Sagkahan Mangga
64	Sagkahan Bliss
65
66	Anibong
66-A	Anibong
67	Anibong
68	Anibong
69	Anibong, Happy Land
70	Anibong, Rawis
71	Naga-naga
72	PHHC Seaside
73	PHHC Mountainside
74	Lower Nula-Tula
75	Fatima Village
76	Fatima Village
77	Fatima Village
78	Marasbaras
79	Marasbaras
80	Marasbaras
81	Marasbaras
82	Marasbaras
83	Paraiso
83-A	Burayan
83-B	San Jose, Cogon
83-C	San Jose
84	San Jose
85	San Jose
86	San Jose
87	San Jose
88	San Jose
89	San Jose, Baybay
90	San Jose
91	Abucay
92	Apitong
93	Bagacay
94	Tigbao
94-A	Basper
95	Caibaan
95-A	Caibaan
96	Calanipawan
97	Cabalawan
98	Camansihay
99	Diit
100	San Roque
101	New Kawayan
102	Kawayan
103	Palanog
103-A	San Paglaum
104	Salvacion
105	Suhi
106	Santo. Niño
107	Santa Elena
108	Tagapuro
109	V&G Subdivision
109-A	V&G Subdivision
110	Utap

Tacloban has a tropical rainforest climate (Köppen: Af) but due to the numerous cyclones present in the area, the climate is not equatorial. Tropical rainforest climates are tropical climates in which there is no dry season – all months have mean precipitation values of at least 60 millimetres (2.4 in). Tropical rainforest climates have no pronounced summer or winter; it is typically wet throughout the year and rainfall is both heavy and frequent. One day in an equatorial climate can be very similar to the next, while the change in temperature between day and night may be larger than the average change in temperature between "summer" and "winter".

The average high (daytime) temperature for the year in Tacloban is 31.1 °C (88.0 °F). The warmest month on average is May with an average daytime temperature of 32.3 °C (90.1 °F). The coolest month on average is January and February, with an average (nighttime) temperature of 23.4 °C (74.1 °F).

The highest recorded temperature was 38.0 °C (100.4 °F), recorded on April 6, 1924, and in August. The lowest recorded temperature in Tacloban is 17.5 °C (63.5 °F) which was recorded in December.

The average rainfall for the year is 2,659.3 millimetres (104.7 in), with the most rainfall on average in December with 386.0 millimetres (15.2 in) and the least on average in April with 115.2 millimetres (4.5 in).

Population census of Tacloban

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1903	11,948	—
1918	15,787	+1.87%
1939	31,233	+3.30%
1948	45,421	+4.25%
1960	53,551	+1.38%
1970	76,531	+3.63%
1975	80,707	+1.07%
1980	102,523	+4.90%
1990	136,891	+2.93%
1995	167,310	+3.83%
2000	178,639	+1.41%
2007	218,144	+2.79%
2010	221,174	+0.50%
2015	242,089	+1.74%
2020	251,881	+0.78%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority

According to the 2020 census, Tacloban has a population of 251,881 inhabitants.

Tacloban is predominantly a Waray-speaking city. The language is also officially called Lineyte-Samarnon ("Leyte-Samarnon") and is spoken by more than 90% of the total city population. Waray-Waray, aside from being the native language of the city, is also the lingua franca used in the city among Filipinos of various ethnic groups.

Tacloban is culturally and linguistically diverse. A decade before the end of Spanish sovereignty, it was largely a typical colonial community: most of its residents were either pure Iberian families or the new generations of Spanish-Filipino blood. Today's population consists of a mix of Spanish and Chinese mestizos, foreign expatriates and native Leyteños.

Other Filipino ethnic groups who migrated to the city are the Cebuano/Kana/Visayan speaking populace accounts for 6.08% of the total population, 0.80% are Tagalog, 0.10% are Ilocano, 0.07% are Kapampangan, and 2.95% come from other ethnic origins, including Hiligaynon, Maguindanaon, Maranao and Tausug.

88.52% of the residents of Tacloban City are Roman Catholic; 6.12% are Muslims (most are Maranao migrants from Mindanao); 0.83% are of the indigenous Christian denomination, Iglesia ni Cristo; 0.94% are Evangelicals (born-again Christians); Baptists 0.80%; 0.49% Seventh-Day Adventists. Others comprise 3.10%.

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