Jolo is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Sulu. It is the capital municipality of Sulu.

According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 87,998 people in 12,814 households.

Jolo was the center of the government of the Sultanate of Sulu. While Manila was just a small settlement, Jolo was already a city, called the City of Jolo. It is located on Jolo Island.

The current elected Mayor is, Mayor Alkramer "Butch" Izquierdo.

Jolo is politically subdivided into 8 barangays.

Its climate is warm, humidity is generally moist, but precipitation is constant throughout the year. February is considered the coldest month while May to August are the hottest, with mean relative humidity of 86%, one of the hottest in the country.