Tsiigehtchic is located at the confluence of the Arctic Red and Mackenzie Rivers at 67°27'N and 133°44'W, 96 km south of Inuvik and 1011 km northwest of Yellowknife.
In 1868, a Roman Catholic Mission was established at the current site, which was then fishing camp, and a trading post soon followed. Construction of the Dempster Highway attracted many residents.