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Bontang is a city on the eastern coast of the island of Borneo in Indonesia, and is located in the province of East Kalimantan. It occupies a land area of, and had a population of 140,787 people at the 2010 census, and 178,917 people at the 2020 census; the official estimate as of mid-2025 was 194,606 people (comprising 100,538 males and 94,068 females). It is also the third most densely populated place in the province after Balikpapan and Samarinda.

The fishing industry in Bontang is small, consisting mainly of small-scale fish farming for local consumption in Bontang and nearby cities, such as Balikpapan. A small amount of the catch is exported to Makassar and Hong Kong. Only a small proportion of the land in Bontang is available and/or suitable for farming. As a result, only about 4% of Bontang residents are involved in agriculture.

Bontang refers to the town's traditional status as a humble village populated mostly by immigrants. Alternately, the name of the town means 'a group of visitors' that come from "Bond" meaning a group and "Tang" which means visitor. A coastal town, Bontang was initially a settlement governed under the Kutai Sultanate based in Tenggarong.

In 1920, the village of Bontang was established as a district headquarters, which was at that time called the Onderdistrict van Bontang. Bontang was still a district under the leadership of a assistant who was a cleric in the government of Sultan Aji Muhammad Parikesit, the 19th Sultan of Kutai Kartanegara (1921-1960).

Since 1954, a district head has taken office. The enactment of Law No. 27 of 1959 concerning the establishment of the Regional Level (Dati) II in East Kalimantan removed the status of self-government. In 1972, the government of the then Kutai Regency recognized Bontang as a district.

Major development of Bontang as an industrial area took place following the establishment of two major companies, PT Badak Natural Gas Liquefaction in 1974, and PT Pupuk Kaltim, a company specializing in the production of ammonia and fertilizer, three years later. Both companies built facilities and infrastructure that were very important for the economic growth of the city.

On 1 December 1989, following the enactment of Government Regulation No. 20 of 1989, the central government upgraded Bontang from a district to an administrative city (kota administratif / kotif) consisting of North Bontang and South Bontang, the largest bulk of the district would become Sangatta (later split into 5 districts, and renamed to North Sangatta). Also, the villages of Santan Ilir, Central Santan, and Santan Ulu were transferred into Muara Badak (and now part of Marang Kayu in Kutai Kartanegara Regency).

In 1999, Bontang became an autonomous independent city (kotamadya). A third district – West Bontang – was created on 16 August 2003 from parts of the other two.

Aerial view of Southern Bontang Bontang is located between 117° 23 E and 117° 32 E and 0° 01 N and 0° 12 N. It administers an area of 497.57 km2.

Within this area, only or 32% is land. The city is dominated by flat lands ranging from 0 – 106 metres above sea level but also includes several hills. Approximately 48% of the city's land area is located in coastal regions and is characteristically level with a slope of 0 - 2%. It is bordered by Teluk Pandan District (of East Kutai Regency) in the north and west, by the Makassar Strait in the east, and by Marang Kayu District (of Kutai Kartanegara Regency) in the south. Soil deposits in the city largely consist of podzol in the interior and alluvium sediments in the coastal region. This makes the city prone to erosion and the use of land for agriculture or development requires prior soil stabilisation.

The city with its surrounding districts is part of the Kutai river basin, and is dominated by quartz sand and sandstone formations created by sediment from nearby rivers.

Bontang has a tropical rainforest climate. As such the temperature is warm and relatively stable throughout the year. Rainfall is frequent and abundant. Two minor seasonal periods can be identified: one drier than the other. The so-called "dry" season lasts approximately from May until September (but average lower precipitations remain above 80 mm per month). The "rainy" season starts around November and ends around May.