Detroit is located in Wayne County, and in the Southeast Region (and is the county seat). It lies southeast of Lansing between Port Huron and Monroe, along Interstate 94 on the banks of the Detroit River. The city also is near Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie.

Detroit is the Midwest's oldest large city, one of the final stops on the Underground Railroad and home to the automotive industry and the Motown Historical Museum. It also is one of the world's largest inland ports. The 2000 census estimates the city's population at 951,270. The climate consists of an average January high of 31 to an August high of 82. An automotive heritage tour includes a trip to the homes of the auto magnates, the Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village, the DaimlerChrysler Conner Creek Plant and Walter P. Chrysler Museum and GM World, both brand new museums. Famous Detroiters include Francis Ford Coppola, film director; Aretha Franklin, singer; and Charles Lindbergh, pilot, among others.

Detroit is part of the Detroit, Michigan metro area.