Ilimanaq used to be known by its colonial name: Claushavn. It is a small settlement on the eastern shore of Disko Bay, just south of Ilulissat Icefjord, with less than 100 inhabitants.

The old Danish name of the settlement derived from the Dutch whaler Klaes Pieterz Torp. The whalers were active in the region from 1719 to 1732. Claushavn was founded in 1741.

Air Greenland serves the village as part of government contract, with winter-only helicopter flights between Ilimanaq Heliport and Ilulissat Airport. Settlement flights in the Disko Bay are unique in that they are operated only during winter and spring.

During summer and autumn, when the waters of Disko Bay are navigable, a ferry links Ilimanaq with Ilulissat.