A sensitive gas chromatographic method has been established for the determination of chlorine dioxide in water. With weak basic conditions (pH 9.0), chlorine dioxide reacts with iodide to form iodine, which reacts with 2,6-dialkylphenol to form 4-iodo-2,6-dialkylphenol. The volatile organic derivative was extracted with ethyl acetate, and then measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The reaction of the active proton of 2,6-dialkylphenols (2,6-dimethylphenol, 2,6-di-isopropylphenol and 2,6-di-tert-butylphenol) with iodine was tested, and compared to each other in terms of reactivity and stability of the derivatives. 2,6-dimethylphenol showed rapid reaction with iodine, and its derivative was stable for 2 weeks. The detection limit of chlorine dioxide in water was about 1.0 ng/mL, and the calibration curve showed good linearity with r2 = 0.998. The existent concentration of chlorine dioxide in water was calculated from multiplying the concentration calculated from the calibration curve of 4-iodo-2,6-dimethylphenol by 0.544. The method was sensitive, reproducible and simple enough to permit the reliable analysis of chlorine dioxide at the low ng/mL level in water.