An apparatus and method is disclosed for selecting a handoff target base station in a wireless network. The apparatus comprises a handoff controller within a wireless mobile station that selects an optimal target base station for handoff based on pilot signal strength measurements of at least two candidate base stations and one of: a location of the wireless mobile station, a velocity of the wireless mobile station, and a direction of motion of the wireless mobile station. The present invention uses more than just pilot strength measurements to select an optimal target base station for handoff. Incorporating position location information in the handoff decision causes the handoff decision to be more reliable. This reduces the number of unnecessary handoffs and results in better system performance.