Savannah is located in Chatham County, which is the county seat, and in the Coast Region of the state. It lies on the South Carolina state line along Interstate 16, on the banks of the Savannah River near the Wassaw Sound.

Gen. James E. Oglethorpe, aboard the sailing ship "Anne", landed on a bluff along the Savannah River in February 1733. He named the 13th American colony, Georgia, after England's King George II. Savannah became its first city. In 1864, Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman began his march to the sea. Savannah was evacuated and avoided destruction upon his army's arrival.

Savannah's Historic District was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1966 and remains one of the nation's largest historic landmarks.

Summers are hot and winters are mild in Savannah. The population estimate for 1998 was 131,674, a decrease of 6,138 since 1990.

Savannah is part of the Savannah, Georgia metro area.