Toledo is at the mouth of the Maumee River on Maumee Bay, along the southwestern tip of Lake Erie. Just an hour drive south of Detroit, the city is along the Interstate 75 corridor that stretches from the upper peninsula in Michigan to south Florida.

Toledo often is referred to as the "Auto Parts Capital of the World" and "Glass Center of the World," two industries that drive a largely manufacturing-based economy. The boom in manufacturing is largely attributed to the city's strategic location on Lake Erie and its connection to the St. Lawrence Seaway.