SAN NICOLAS is located at the center of Ilocos Norte in Northwestern Philippines. It is 75 kilometers north of Vigan, Ilocos Sur; 271 kilometers from Baguio City and 485 kilometers north of Manila. It can be reached by both air and land transportation coming from the north and south. It lies between latitude 18°06’ and 18°11’ and longitude 102°33’ and 120°38’.

     As to the natural and physical characteristics, San Nicolas is comprised of 15 urban and 9 rural barangays. It covers a total land area of 4,930 hectares distributed to Residential, Commercial, Industrial, Agricultural, Institutional, Recreational/Open Spaces, Tourism, Special Uses, Agro-forest, River wash and Barren lands.

     On its demographic characteristics, San Nicolas has 7,423 households composed of the total projected population of 35,122 for the year 2006.

     The present name of San Nicolas was given in the year 1733, after Saint Nicholas de Tolentino who was believed to have protected the people against floods, earthquakes, fires, typhoons and other calamities. It is significant that in Ilocos Norte, only San Nicolas was named after a Saint.

     Like in other town in the ancient province of Ilocos, San Nicolas was established by Augustinian missionaries. Vigan, the first Spanish mission center in this region, was founded in 1575. In the year 1572, when the Spaniards first explored the Laoag (Padsan) River, they met hostile resistance from the natives of San Nicolas and Laoag. In another expedition dispatched from Vigan in 1584 San Nicolas was established and Laoag followed a year later.

     San Nicolas Catholic Church built in 1701 is one of the oldest buildings in this province. Its original structure is one of the must see places of the town. The Church and the attached Sta. Rosa Academy Building, the well preserved Municipal Hall and the old Town Plaza sprawled between them constitute the heart of the town center. These buildings and structures are originally built and continue to be festooned with earthen bricks, which is among the products of the surviving local earthenware industry.

     San Nicolas is a part of the cluster of towns in Ilocos Norte where vestiges of the rich Ilocano cultural and political heritage can be found: the oldest church in Paoay, the Marcos Museum, Gregorio Aglipay and General Ricarte Shrines of Batac, Fort Ilocandia and Laoag Sinking Bell Tower and the Basi Revolt Shrine of Piddig among others,

     It is also located right at the center of the developing metropolis radiating from Laoag City. The town is a potential contributor to the social, economic and cultural development of Ilocos Norte in support to the Provincial Government’s program of reviving and enriching the Ilocano cultural heritage under the leadership of Governor Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.

     Even as it moves towards urbanization, San Nicolas promises to preserve and further develop its rich cultural heritage of traditional industry and culture, to the realization of its Vision:

“SAN NICOLAS SHALL BE A PEACEFUL AND PROGRESSIVE AGRI-INDUSTRIAL COMMUNITY IN AN ECOLOGICALLY BALANCED ENVIRONMENT.”

     The vision shall be attained through the pursuit of socio-economic growth, efficient and effective governance supported by an empowered, God-loving citizenry and other partners in development.