The community of Deline is situated on Great Bear Lake at 65°10'N and 123°25'W, 544 km northwest of Yellowknife.
Deline became a Charter Community April 1, 1993, and officially changed its name from Fort Franklin on June 1, 1993. The population was 616 in 1996, a 11.8% increase over 1991. Fort Franklin was named after Sir John Franklin, who used the area as a base for exploration during the mid-1820s.