A method and system for power control in a wireless communication system. A base station determines the location of a mobile station and uses that location as a basis to select power control parameters, such as initial mobile station transmit power, initial base station transmit power, and reverse link setpoint. The base station instruct the mobile station to begin transmitting at the location-based initial mobile station transmit power, and the base station begins transmitting at the location-based initial base station transmit power. Power control then proceeds based on the location-based values. When the mobile station location changes, the process repeats, based on a new set of location-based power control parameters.