Introduction Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most prevalent cancers among Iranian people. The study of spatio-temporal distribution of disease has an important role in the design of disease prevention programmes. The purpose of the current study was to describe the spatio-temporal distribution of CRC in the Iranian military community as a sample of the Iranian population.

Methods In the current ecological study, all registered cancer cases in the Iranian military community during the period 2007–2016 were considered. To identify hotspots, Getis-Ord Gi statistics were used. All analyses were performed using ArcGIS 10.5 and Excel 2010.

Results The highest incidences of CRC in 2007–2008, 2009–2010 and 2011–2012 were recorded in Kermanshah province. The highest incidences of CRC in 2013–2014 were seen in Kermanshah, Ghilan, Tehran and North Khorasan. In 2007–2008 and 2009–2010, hotspots were detected in West Azarbayjan. In 2011–2012, hotspots were detected in Zanjan and Qazvin. In 2013–2014, a hotspot was detected in Qazvin. Finally, West Azerbaijan was the hotspot for CRC in 2015–2016.

Conclusions The incidence of CRC in men was higher than in women. Also it appeared that North and North West Iran were risk areas for this disease, and so these areas should be considered in the design of disease prevention programme for this cancer type. Additionally, the determination of individual risk factors in the aforementioned geographical areas can play an important role in the prevention of this type of cancer.